Mary Castles

As Executive Director of Housing and Social Work Services at North Lanarkshire Council, Mary Castles oversees a budget of £310m and 4,300 staff including homecarers, social workers, tenancy support staff, housing workers, mental health officers, criminal justice officers and a whole range of other support staff.

"My job is to set the direction with my management team so we fulfil the objectives of the Housing and Social Work Service," Mary explains. "I represent the council at the highest level, contributing to the corporate management team, informing strategic decisions, and making sure those decisions translate into excellent services on the ground. I also deal with the public quite a lot and once a week, I try to get out to meet staff in the service to find out first hand how they are doing and to get to know them a little better."

Mary started her local government career in 1979 as a rent collector with Monklands District Council, who funded her through two qualifications in housing management. She subsequently completed a Social Policy course through the Open University.

"The best part of working for North Lanarkshire is meeting staff and seeing the absolute commitment and dedication they have, often in difficult situations," Mary adds. "I also enjoy meeting service users on a personal basis, whether it's carers, tenants or residents. Plus there's a real sense of camaraderie here, so the work we do is more than just a job."