City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Members, Scrutiny and Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs 2025/2026
The Cabinet
The Cabinet comprises the following Councillors. Lead roles are indicated below although it should be noted that these may be shared with the Leader or other Cabinet Members.
Leader: Thriving City Stephen Simkins
Our City: Our Plan
City Partnerships
West Midlands Combined Authority
International, national, regional and sub-regional Leadership
Financial Wellbeing
Health Wellbeing and Community Obaida Ahmed
Our City: Our Plan – healthy, inclusive communities Preventing Ill Health and reducing Health Inequalities
Starting and developing well
Healthy Life Expectancy
Healthy Ageing
NHS Partnerships
Public Health Commissioning
WV Active
Our City: Our Plan – fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it
Our City: Our Plan – fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it
Our City: Our Plan – fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it
Community Engagement
Health and Care integration through the integrated care system, place-based partnership and integrated care partnership Health and Care reform including the fair cost of care and social care cap government reforms. Voluntary and Community Sector Partnerships
Health and Care integration through the integrated care system, place- based partnership and integrated care partnership
Health and Care reform including the fair cost of care and social care cap government reforms.
Voluntary and Community Sector Partnerships
Libraries and Community Hubs
New Communities and Migration
Community safety and community cohesion
Children, Young People and Education Jacqui Coogan
Our City: Our Plan – strong families where children grow up well and achieve their full potential
Children’s Transformation work (incl. specific funded programmes and national reform)
Strategic School place planning
School admissions
0-25 Special Educational Needs and Disability
Our City: Our Plan – fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it Children’s safeguarding incl. prevention of exploitation
Youth Offending
Children and young people partnership working
Education inclusion incl. behaviour, attendance, and elected home education
Children in need and in need of protection
Children and young people’s health incl. disabilities and emotional health and wellbeing
School governance
Home to school transport
Children and young people in care and care leavers
Children’s Services commissioning
Commercial services to schools
Children and Young People’s participation and engagement
Health and wellbeing for schools
Corporate parenting
Post 16 School Education provision
Early intervention, prevention and specialist services
Early Years
School standards and attainment
Jobs and Skills & Opportunities Paula Brookfield
Our City: Our Plan – more local people into good jobs and training
Adult Education
Further and higher education (incl. Wolverhampton College, training providers and universities)
Skills and employability including Careers advice,Wolves at Work, Impact and Workbox
Our City: Our Plan – thriving economy in all parts of the city
Strategic Planning, incl. Local Plan policy
Supporting City businesses
Stimulating Inward investment Economic growth and inclusion partnerships Delivery and implementation of the Strategic Asset Plan External relations
Stimulating Inward investment
Economic growth and inclusion partnerships
Delivery and implementation of the Strategic Asset Plan
External relations, Public Relations and Reputation Management
External relations, Public Relations and Reputation Management
and Reputation Management
Visitor Experience (Culture and Events)
City Marketing
Our City Our Plan - Our Assets - ensuring the city has a fit for purpose asset portfolio to meet current and future needs.
Our City Our Plan - Our Assets -
ensuring the city has a fit for purpose asset portfolio to meet current and future needs.
Governance and Digital Jeszemma Howell
Emergency Planning, Resilience and business continuity
Our City: Our Plan - Driven by Digital
Our City: Our Plan - Fair and Inclusive priority including equalities
Legal
Our City: Our Plan - Driven by Digital
Our City: Our Plan - Driven by Digital
Our Digital including the council’s digital and IT service
Our Digital including the council's digital and IT service Our Data including data and analytics
Democratic Services and School Appeals
Scrutiny
- Emergency Planning, Resilience and business continuity
Our Data including data and analytics
Digital infrastructure and connectivity
Digital Inclusion including digital skills
Digital innovation
Electoral Registration and Elections
Information Governance
Civic Support (Mayoral and Councillor Support) and Councillor Enquiries
Our City: Our Pian - Driven by Digital Our Digital including the council's digital and IT service
Digital innovation
Corporate Complaints and Feedback
Digital Projects
Digital Projects
Our People Strategy Incl. HR and Organisation Development
Customer Services
Registrars
Health and Safety
Archives
Deputy Leader: City Housing & Assets Steve Evans
Our City: Our Plan – good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods
City Housing Strategy and Housing Policies
City Prevention of Homelessness Strategy
City Housing Needs & Affordable Housing incl. Temporary Accommodation
City Private Housing Services Incl. Enforcement and Civil Penalties
Safer Homes incl. National Residential Building Safety Programme City Residential Landlord Services – Wolverhampton Homes Arm's Length Management Company City Residential Landlord Services – Tenant Management Organisations Right to Manage Tenant Organisations and Cooperatives City Housing Company – WV Living Ltd City Housing Development Strategy
Safer Homes incl. National Residential Building Safety Programme
City Residential Landlord Services – Wolverhampton Homes Arm’s Length Management Company
City Residential Landlord Services – Tenant Management Organisations Right to Manage Tenant Organisations and Cooperatives
City Housing Company – WV Living Ltd
City Housing Development Strategy
Resources Sally Green
Our Money including Medium term financial planning
capital strategy (incl. schools)
budget development process
treasury management strategy
Council tax and business rates
Housing benefits and council tax benefits
Procurement and Commercialisation
Audit and Corporate risk
Adults
Linda Leach
Our City: Our Plan – fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it
Our City: Our Plan – fulfilled lives for all with quality care for those that need it
Adult Services Transformation work
Operational Social care provision for adults, older people, learning and physical disabilities, complex needs and mental health including:- Adult Safeguarding (MASH 24) AMHP Hub Carer support (paid and unpaid) Welfare rights information, advice and guidance (including Wolverhampton Information Network) Better Care Fund Adult care commissioning and market sustainability - Quality assurance and monitoring - Adult user engagement - Financial Assessments - CQC inspection framework
Adult Safeguarding (MASH 24)
AMHP Hub
Quality assurance and monitoring
Carer support (paid and unpaid)
Welfare rights
Adult user engagement
Information, advice and guidance (including Wolverhampton Information Network)
Financial Assessments
CQC inspection framework
Better Care Fund
Adult care commissioning and
City Transport Bhupinder Gakhal
Our City: Our Plan – climate conscious
Strategic Transportation
Operational Transportation incl. highways management and maintenance
Fleet management
Passenger Transport
Sustainability
Delivery of the 2028 climate commitment
Delivery of the 2041 climate commitment for the city
Parking Services
Resident Services Qaiser Azeem
Waste and Recycling Services
Public protection and consumer protection
Street cleansing
Grounds maintenance, parks operations, country parks operations
Licensing
Bereavements
Markets
Coroner
Scrutiny Board
Chair Philip Bateman
Vice Chair Lamina Lloyd
Scrutiny Panels
Chair Jasbir Jaspal
Vice Chair Rashpal Kaur
Adult
Chair Mary Bateman
Committees
Chair Ben Evans
Vice Chair Gurbax Kaur
Health
Audit and Risk
Mayor
Ceremonial Mayor Paul Singh
Ceremonial Deputy Mayor Wendy Thompson
Chair Val Evans
Vice Chair Leigh New
Children, Young People & Education
Chair Tersaim Singh
Vice Chair Lovinyer Daley
Economy & Growth
Chair Barbara McGarrity
Vice Chair Iqra Tahir
Governance & Ethics
Vice Chair Harbinder Singh
Pensions
Opposition Leader and Deputy Leader
Opposition Leader Celia Hibbert
Opposition Deputy Leader Anita Stanley
Chair Zee Russell
Vice Chair Craig Collingswood
Resources & Equality
Chair Jacqui Sweetman
Vice Chair Muhammad Nasim
Climate Change, Housing & Communities
Chair Alan Butt
Chair Paul Sweet
Vice Chair Jenny Cockayne
Licencing
Vice Chair Rob Siarciewicz
Planning