About Our People

Meet the passionate and committed people who drive positive change in Bassetlaw, working together to serve the community and create a better future.

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Our Leadership

The leadership of the council is structured to ensure effective decision-making and service delivery.
It consists of elected representatives, including the Leader of the Council and Cabinet members, who oversee key policy areas.
Chief Executive
David Armiger
Assistant Chief Executive & Director of Corporate Resources
Michael Wildman
Assistant Chief Executive & Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods
Craig Taylor
Head

of

Finance and Property Services
Karen Ludditt
Head

of

Housing
Alison Craig
Head of Growth & Economic Prosperity
Julie Beresford
Head of Legal and Governance
Stella Bacon
Head of Local Government Reorganisation
Stephen Brown
Head of Performance and Engagement
Jonathan Brassington
Head of Planning and Place
Alastair Curran

Our Team

Discover what it’s like to work here and be a part of our team. Our colleagues’ stories span every aspect of our unique business, giving you an insight into what life at Bassetlaw is truly like.

David
Our Licensing Officer
Jamey
Our Control Room Manager
Danielle
Our Transformation Business Partner
Vanessa
Our Strategy & 
Engagement Manager
George
Our National 
Management Trainee
Stella
Our Council Solicitor
Lauren
Our Benefits Claims Officer

Find Your Next Job at 
Bassetlaw District Council

Explore a variety of career opportunities on our job portal. Whether you're looking for your next challenge or curious about our roles, you'll find all the details you need to take the next step in your career with us.

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David

Our Licensing Officer

In 2022 I started in the Licensing team under the Kickstarter Scheme. Coming from a vastly different environment with very different expectations and requirements, I found myself quite challenged with the different approaches taken within Bassetlaw District Council. However, with the heavily teamwork-focused culture and the supportive and constructive approach taken by the management, I was able to overcome the initial hurdles.
After the end of my Kickstarter contract I was invited back on a 12 month secondment in 2023 and was finally offered a permanent position at the end of the same year.
During my time here, I have quickly found myself improving skills, building new skills and growing with every challenge set. The opportunities for growth and development within Bassetlaw District Council are second to none. In my 2ish years here I have received many opportunities for training, allowing me to continuously improve and expand my knowledge.
  • Make a difference - Within the Council you have unique opportunities to help Bassetlaw grow and improve. It is the approach I have seen by everyone in the council that we, whenever possible, support the people and the businesses in our district. There is always an opportunity to make a difference.
  • Strengthen your Character - There is a meritocratic approach to everything. Issues are discussed, ideas challenged and adjustments made. This approach is taken not only to achieve the task at hand but also to help each other become the best we can be. 
  • Somebody Always Listens - Be it a professional issue or one at home. You will always find someone who will listen. You will always find help. We are a Team. 
Jamey

Our Control Room Manager

I come from a military background having served in the British Army for 8 years on leaving school.
My Army career sadly ended too soon but I carried on down the security route initially as a retail guard in Sheffield town centre, this was my first real introduction to CCTV. In 2002, I applied for the job as a Public Space CCTV operator in Worksop town centre monitoring 15 cameras – I have not look back since.
Now 22 years later, I manage the Bassetlaw District Council CCTV Control room team, monitoring over 600 CCTV cameras, with locations all across the East Midlands. Duties range from monitoring CCTV, locating offenders involved in anti-social behaviour, public order as well as interacting with vulnerable members of the public via our “Safer Street” video intercom cameras. Our operation runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We also manage and coordinate a busy pub and shop watch radio system, interacting with various retail and night time economy venues, working closely in partnership with BDC’s antisocial behaviour team and Nottinghamshire police via pub/shop watch and police airwave radio systems. Our purpose is to proactively clamp down and shop lifting and violence in the town centres and surrounding areas.

Working in BDC’s public space CCTV control room requires a certain type of person; you must be thick skinned and resourceful, remaining calm, proactive, and professional throughout. The role is extremely rewarding at times, and there is no better feeling than relocating a missing child with their parent or guardian after being separated in a town centre or assisting a vulnerable person when they have activated a “Safer Street” refuge point in the early hours for help.

We also monitor fire and burglar alarms 24/7 responding to alerts and informing police and key holders, the team are always on the lookout for the suspicious, the unusual and absurd ready to direct a nearby camera and report to the police. My role in this operation is to steer and guide the team and ensure they keep motivated and on course, I/We pride ourselves on providing the best possible service to the communities and partners of Bassetlaw District Council.
Danielle

Our Transformation Business Partner

I joined Bassetlaw District Council in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. – a time of huge uncertainty and change for everyone. Like many organisations, the Council had to adapt quickly, and the shift to remote working became essential to minimise the spread of the virus. As restrictions eased, the Council recognised the long-term benefits of flexible working, and we embraced a hybrid working policy that’s still in place today. It’s a real testament to how much the organisation values the wellbeing of its people.

Hybrid working has been a real lifeline for me personally. I live with a chronic illness, and having the flexibility to work from home on days when getting into the office is a struggle means I can continue to contribute meaningfully without compromising my health. The Council has been incredibly supportive – from referring me to occupational health to ensure I have the right adjustments in place, to enabling access to physical and mental health support through Westfield Health. The three managers I’ve had here have shown real understanding and compassion, which has made a huge difference.
Before joining the Council, I worked in the private sector, but I was drawn to the public sector by the promise of a better work-life balance – and I wasn’t disappointed. I was attracted to the benefits of working for the council such as the excellent annual leave scheme, the pension scheme, flexitime and Westfield health benefits. I get to spend more time doing what I enjoy but what really stands out is the sense of purpose. Knowing that my role directly supports the people working hard to improve the lives of Bassetlaw residents gives me huge job satisfaction.
I’ve also been able to grow professionally in ways I hadn’t imagined. When a new role came up in my department that aligned with my interests, I was able to use both my degree and my previous managerial experience to step into it. I was thrilled to take the next step in my career without having to leave an organisation I truly believe in. The council want their employees to thrive in their roles and achieve their career goals so I’m proud to work somewhere that invests in training and development. 
It was in that role that I discovered a passion for project work – and that led me to my current position as a Transformation Business Partner in our newly formed Transformation Team.
This role is an ideal fit for me. I particularly love technology and am always looking for ways to use it to solve problems and improve how we work. Whether it’s identifying inefficiencies, helping teams reimagine their processes, or introducing digital tools that make a real difference, I find it incredibly rewarding to support internal projects that ultimately lead to better outcomes for our residents. Every improvement we help deliver – big or small – contributes to a stronger, more agile Council.
I work closely with teams from across the organisation, helping them to scope, plan, and implement projects that support service transformation. I especially enjoy collaborating with colleagues to map out processes, uncover pain points, and explore how technology can make things simpler, faster, and smarter. No two days are the same, and I thrive on the variety and the opportunity to get creative in finding solutions.
What I love most about working at Bassetlaw is that my ideas are valued and encouraged. I’m constantly inspired by the talented people I work with, and I’m learning and growing every day. It’s exciting to be part of a team that’s shaping the future of the Council – and doing it in a way that puts our communities first.
Vanessa

Our Strategy & Engagement Manager

My current role is within the housing service. I manage the Strategy and Engagement team which focuses on the strategic side of housing, 
policy, performance, service delivery, tenant involvement and complaint handling. I really love this role as it covers all my key passions, which are a bit geeky.
How did I get here? Good question, I first arrived at Bassetlaw DC in 2008 as a Policy and Scrutiny Officer providing maternity cover and I haven’t looked back.  I discovered my love of data and policy making at university and Bassetlaw gave me the opportunity to become involved in scrutiny with councillors which really motivated me to see change driven by scrutiny and policy.  I have covered so many topics which means I learnt something about the council, the projects, and partners virtually every day.  A few years in I was invited into the world of performance and that has really been enjoyable. I think of performance as a chance to go undercover and explore how projects, processes and action plans are working, what is impacting the trend data, are there new forces that could impact the performance and how can we improve value for money, service delivery and customer experience. Performance reporting is all about how you tell the story to the varied audiences.
Whilst I may like my nose in data and policy, I am a people person so engaging with colleagues, partners and residents is another area I enjoy.  I was very involved in engagement and when I moved roles to Executive Assistant, I was pleased to support the Youth Council and lead on Bassetlaw Conversations which was our face-to-face engagement vehicle as well as support the Executive Team. Bassetlaw District Council is all about the people for me and as I lived in Bassetlaw for over 30 years it was important to me to see Bassetlaw grow.
The great thing about Bassetlaw is that everyone is helpful, friendly and cares about their work. I left Bassetlaw briefly to improve my engagement skills in housing and returned to this role because it allowed me to use the Master in Public Administration, gave me a challenge in an area I am interested in to make a real difference. It is at a time of huge change in housing set against the backdrop of Regulation and policy changes that will impact us all in one way or another. To be able to support these changes which will improve tenants experience and provide them with an opportunity to really be part of influencing the decisions is important to me. 
It wasn’t a hard decision to return to BDC as I know it is a good place to work, with flexibility and good management. Great colleagues that pull together when needed. There are opportunities to do new things and make a difference.
I think the pension scheme is excellent and have really benefited from the financial support around planning for retirement and making the most of my savings through AVCs.  The online training opportunities are good and the nice touches like the welcome gift, parking permits that cover weekends and a couple of hours off on Christmas Eve all go a long way to making me feel welcome and valued.
George

Our National Management Trainee

I came to Bassetlaw through a completely unique path compared to everyone else at the authority, arriving straight from finishing my undergraduate degree as the Council’s debut admission through the LGA’s NGDP graduate scheme. This programme essentially aims to cultivate local government managers of the future, firstly through its structure (3-4 placements across different areas of the Council over 2 years), and secondly through its focus (allowing graduates to both experience management-level decision making and also lead on certain strategic projects), alongside being involved more generally in the day-to-day swing of local government.

Unlike most other local authorities participating on this programme, ours continually offers unrivalled degrees of flexibility in what experiences I can be exposed to. My first placement (taking the lead on the early stages of our Electoral Review into future boundary changes – a once in 25 years project) and second placement (working across the regeneration and climate change teams to achieve both transformational change in redeveloping our urban areas and pushing our decarbonisation drive, enabled by extensive external funding opportunities) certainly reflect this. From interacting and collaborating directly with Elected Members and the senior management team at an early stage (allowing me to develop an understanding of how the authority functions), to understanding the intricacies of working alongside central government on delivering real change to deprived communities, to receiving the opportunity to lead on promising corporate initiatives (like our ‘Back to the Floor’ initiative – engaging councillors and senior management in our day-to-day activities) – Bassetlaw certainly keeps you challenged and always progressing both personally and professionally.
This is a scheme that Bassetlaw didn’t have to put themselves forward for, but the fact that they did is a testament to the forward-thinking ethos of the senior management team and organisational outlook as a whole. Indeed, this was clear to see before I even arrived here, it was something that shone through the visions, masterplans, and strategies – both the frankness in describing the challenges we face but also the ambition to strive for better outcomes for our communities were key in me giving Bassetlaw my preference in the first place.
Professionally, the training required to fulfil all aspects of my various remits has been provided and all personal development opportunities actively encouraged by my managers – further challenging me in ways that allow my skillset to develop in directions I never even considered before joining the sector.
Not only is Bassetlaw a great place to work, but also a very enjoyable area to live. The whole district and its main towns – Worksop, Retford, Harworth & Bircotes, and Tuxford – are all on an upward trajectory, something which I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of. The area has great connections to cities and destinations across not just the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, but the whole country, with plenty of landmarks within Bassetlaw itself – two National Trust sites, historic market towns, and award winning parks just to name a few.
I feel very lucky to be surrounded by professionals with almost endless depths of knowledge about the area and sector – everyone is always willing to help you out. Austerity and ever-tightening funding challenges across local government has often implied a decline trajectory for the sector, but the dynamism present at Bassetlaw couldn’t really be further from that. There is no shortage of optimism around the future of our district, only opportunities to be grasped and ran with for the benefit of those we serve.
Stella

Our Council Solicitor

I initially joined BDC in 2012 in a temporary role as a Junior Solicitor on a short term contract, I returned in December 2014 as Principal 
Solicitor (Licensing) with management and budgetary responsibility. Working in local government has allowed me to progress in my career, as I am now manager of the Legal Services Team and Monitoring Officer, whilst retaining a work life balance. I have a young family and I am able to use flexible working to ensure I can attend events such as Christmas plays and assemblies, I am sure I would not be able to do this working in private practice. Having worked at every level within the Councils Legal Team I feel privileged to be able to offer support and professional development to those commencing their career in both the legal profession and local government. 

Lauren

Our Benefits Claims Officer

I have received support from my employer in lots of ways, the main two that I really appreciate from a personal level is the help I got towards 
my fertility treatments, I also have used Westfield to get some counselling to support me through a loss of a close family member – amongst other things like claiming back money for the dentist, my glasses, massage treatments etc.
I required medical treatment to help me get pregnant. With other places I have worked in the past, this would never have been something I think I would have even considered, as it would take a lot of time away from my working day. My managers supported me fully with contacting my HR department to ask if I could have some time to have fertility appointments, because at that time there was a policy in place for once you were pregnant, but nothing to aid you if you needed help to get pregnant in the first place. Straight away my HR department were behind me and ended up putting a new policy in place to help people with fertility issues to take the time away from work required to attend important appointments/procedures to get pregnant. I cannot express how grateful I am to my employer for this, and I know it wouldn’t have been possible to have children without the support network of the great team we have at BDC.
As mentioned Westfield is a great scheme offered to all employers. I lost a close family member in 2022 and was recommended by my manager to contact Westfield as I was struggling mentally with this. I did so in confidence and received counselling to help me through my grieving process. This really changed my outlook on life in a positive way and I still use today tools I learnt from this in my daily life to support me when things get too heavy.
I would overall really recommend working for the Local Authority and intend on having a long career here.