Thursday, 02 September 2010

ALMO seeks new head after £2.6m bailout

10 February 2010 | By Isabel Hardman

Waltham Forest’s arm’s-length management organisation Ascham Homes is advertising for a new £120,000-a-year chief executive.

The ALMO’s previous head, Hassett Auguste, left in November following poor performance at the company. He has been replaced on a temporary basis by the council’s deputy chief executive Martin Esom.

In January, the council was forced to hand over £2.6 million in additional support for the ALMO, to fund repairs and a financial recovery plan.

The ALMO, which was the first in the country to get a lower star rating than its parent council in 2004, is now a two-star organisation and is undergoing an Audit Commission inspection this week.

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Readers' comments (5)

  • Max | 10/02/2010 8:58 am

    The announcement of the Chief Executive's departure during the inspection week. Safe to asume that like most of the brickwork in Waltham Forest the writing is on the wall..I am here all week tell your friends!

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  • Peter | 10/02/2010 11:26 am

    Max, I am nosey parker, tell us more!

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  • Brian Hewson | 10/02/2010 3:26 pm

    One big question that candidates for the job might like to ask is what guarantee Waltham Forest Council will give that Ascham Homes will be allowed to continue. And for how long.
    Plus will any commitment they give change if the inspectors give the ALMO a rubbishing?

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  • Sharon | 10/02/2010 5:25 pm

    I've recently read the Waltham Forest News, in particular the article entitled 'a resident inspector calls'.This is where six Ascham Homes tenants have just completed a fifteen week training course (accredited by the CIH) in order to act as volunteer Resident Inspectors. The idea is that they will work alongside the ALMO to help improve the repairs service for tenants.

    Under these circumstances they'll have their work cut out!!

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  • Sharon | 11/02/2010 10:12 am

    If the previous head of Ascham Homes was so bad, why did he hold the job for so many years? I had a brief communication with him way back in 2004 and if he didn't hold this position then, why was he promoted?

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