Darra Singh, OBE
Chief Executive, Ealing Council
Non-Executive Director, Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
What made you choose the public sector?
I always knew that I wanted to do something that would have an impact on others and help improve their lives so when I had to make the decision between public and private sector there was no contest.
How did you get to your current role?
After graduating from a law degree at University of Northumberland in Newcastle, my first job was working as a housing caseworker at Tyneside Housing Aid Centre where my role was to advise people with housing needs.
I spent the next seven years working in a variety of different roles in the Housing sector such as, a housing campaign worker and a senior policy and research officer before making the step to becoming a Regional Director for the North British Housing Association.
Two years later I landed my first position as a Chief Executive for ASRA Greater London Housing Association where I was responsible for a specialist association with 70 staff, which under my leadership grew from 200 to over 1300 homes in ownership with 450 in development.
Five years later and after another Chief Executive’s position at a larger housing association in London, my career took a significant turn when I left the Housing sector to take on a position of Regional Director for the Audit Commission. While in this role I built relationships with a large number of local authorities and it was this that inspired me to become a Local Authority Chief Executive.
In 2001 I became the Chief Executive of Luton Council, an organisation with a net budget of £220m and employing 7800 staff. Always in search of a bigger challenge, my ambition was always to be a Chief Executive of a London borough. I achieved this in 2005 when I was appointed Chief Exec at Ealing Council.
During the time I have been at Ealing I have chaired the Commission on Integration and Cohesion on behalf of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The Commission published its findings in July last year and both Central and Local Government are currently implementing the recommendations put forward.
Currently I am also a Non-Executive Director at The Department of Culture, Media and Sport and I have recently been appointed as the Chair of the Society of Metropolitan Chief Executives.
What does your job involve?
As Chief Executive my job is to work with the Council Leader and the Elected Members to set the strategic direction of the organisation and ensure the council’s corporate plan reflects the administration’s agenda.
Ultimately I am responsible for leading every Ealing Council employee in delivering over 200 different services to over 300,000 residents in the borough with a net budget of £432 Million.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The variety. No day is ever the same and new challenges arise all the time. Despite this, Ealing is constantly improving and it’s exciting to see things change and resident’s satisfaction increasing as a result of the effort put in by Ealing’s staff to deliver excellent services.
I also enjoy acting as an Ambassador for the borough both across London and nationally and working in one of the most diverse boroughs in the capital, having the opportunity to work with and meet people from different backgrounds and all walks of life.
What has been your greatest achievement within your career?
Becoming a Chief Executive of a London borough had been my ambition since I started working in local government. Being offered the job I had always wanted here at Ealing was by far the greatest highlight of my career.
What are your aspirations for the future?
Having already fulfilled my ambition, I am now focussing on taking Ealing forward and building on the changes and improvements that have already taken place. I want Ealing to be one of the best local authorities in the country and my goal is to continue working alongside our partners to make sure this happens and deliver the residents of Ealing the best services possible.
What advice would you give to those interested in a management or executive career within the public sector?
I can’t recommend a career in the public sector highly enough. There is no other job like it in terms of being able to make a difference to others and really having an impact on people’s lives.
To succeed you need to be tenacious, determined and passionate about your role. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the daily grind and lose sight of the bigger picture but when you remind yourself what it’s all about, it always seems worthwhile.