An experienced director has been appointed as the first chair of a new company to oversee social housing and adult social care services in Barnet.

Deep Sagar, who has extensive experience of leading public and private sector organisations at both senior management and Board level, has become chair of The Barnet Group and its subsidiary organisations Barnet Homes and Your Choice Barnet. The Barnet Group went live on 1 February 2012.

Mr Sagar will take on the post in addition to other roles. He is chair of the Leasehold Advisory Service, and has experience of chairing social housing and social care organisations such as Patchwork Community Housing Association and Turnstone Support. He has also held senior management positions at Coca-Cola and Unilever.

The governance arrangements of the new organisation mean that Mr Sagar will chair The Barnet Group board along with the boards of Your Choice Barnet and Barnet Homes, where he replaces Vi Britchfield who is standing down after three and a half years in the role.

Deep Sagar said: “The Barnet Group will do more and better for customers. Barnet Homes and the social care operations have a fine record. I will work with Board members to support staff who do such valuable jobs, day in and day out.”

The Barnet Group Chief Executive, Tracey Lees, said: “Deep has a very impressive track record of overseeing a wide range of public sector organisations along with senior management experience in the private sector.

“That’s really the ideal combination for The Barnet Group, where we will be looking to combine a strong public sector ethos with a business-like approach to identifying new markets and working ever more efficiently. I very much look forward to working with him to make The Barnet Group a success.

“I’d also like to thank Vi Britchfield for all of her wise counsel and invaluable contributions as Chair of Barnet Homes. She was over 80 when she took up the position but approached the role with the kind of energy you’d expect from someone less than half her age. I’m very pleased she is remaining on the Barnet Homes Board as leaseholder representative during this period of transition for the organisation.”

Councillor Sachin Rajput, Cabinet Member for Adults at Barnet Council, said: “I’m delighted that Deep Sagar will be able to bring his wealth of experience from both the public and private sector to help run one of the first Local Authority Trading Companies in the country covering adult social care and housing.”

The new company means that people will be able to use direct payments to purchase a range of social care services from Your Choice Barnet. For legal reasons, this would not have been possible had the services remained with Barnet Council.

Staff working for these social care services will automatically be transferred to Your Choice Barnet on 1 February.

Business support to Your Choice Barnet, such as finance and HR, will come from teams already in place at Barnet Homes. This, together with a focused approach on marketing the services and attracting new business, is expected to generate significant savings over time.

Your Choice Barnet will provide the following services:

  • Rosa Morison
  • Flower Lane Autism Service
  • CommunitySpace
  • Barnet Independent Living Service
  • Barnet Supported Living Service
  • Valley Way Respite Service