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Councillor Steve Curran reflects on his time as leader of Hounslow Council…
Brought up in Kingston-uponThames, Councillor Steve Curran moved to Brentford 28 years ago. Before becoming a councillor, he worked in the NHS for 39 years – most recently as head of facilities for Great Ormond’s Street. He retired from the NHS five years ago. He became a councillor for the Syon Ward in 2010 and held various posts in Hounslow Council’s cabinet as the lead on housing, health and education. He became leader of Hounslow Council in 2014. Councillor Curran’s interests outside of politics include holidays and sport. He played for Kingston RFC and Richmond FC rugby clubs and is a passionate supporter of Brentford FC and London Irish.
“My favourite part about being leader was meeting the diverse type of people who live in the borough. From Chiswick to Feltham, I always enjoyed meeting new people and finding out how we could make Hounslow a stronger, fairer and greener borough. I moved to the borough more than 28 years ago and it was the best decision I ever made.
“My proudest achievement as leader is building new council homes. During the past four years of this administration, we built 1,300 council homes for local people at local rent. Like many other London boroughs, Hounslow has an acute housing shortage. However, by building these homes we made a tangible difference to hundreds of families’ lives.
“As leader, I made it a priority to strengthen the relationship between businesses and Hounslow Council – working very closely and in partnership with Hounslow Chamber of Commerce. With Brentford FC and London Irish based at Brentford Community Stadium, Hounslow is firmly on the map as a place that people want to work, visit and live. This is testament to our strong and fruitful relationships with local businesses – ensuring Hounslow is a thriving and prosperous place to be.
“The most difficult part about being leader was that you never knew what was coming over the horizon. When you’re a leader of a council, you’re on call 24/7. Councils also have a huge responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our society – whether that be children in care or vulnerable adults. This always presented us with challenges; however, protecting the vulnerable was always a top priority for me, never more so than during the pandemic.
The thing I most enjoyed about being leader was handing over the keys to a resident who was moving into her new council home. Back in February, I met a single mum who had recently moved into a council home we had built in Feltham. She was so grateful for the home we had provided for and her baby. Her positive experience makes this job worthwhile.
One thing I never expected about being leader was the depth and complexity of the role. The pandemic certainly presented itself with unexpected challenges for me. However, I can honestly say it brought out the best in the borough. Whether it was supporting residents with food parcels or offering support packages to local businesses severely hit – all parts of the borough came together to make a difference.
If I could say one thing to the next leader it would be: stick to your values. Deliver what you said you were going to deliver. Being leader of a council certainly requires perseverance, so keep persevering! Enjoy the role and have fun. I certainly did.
Working together with their sister service; Learn Hounslow, the Work Hounslow team have been coming up with innovative solutions to recruitment barriers. Through upskilling programmes, including a range of employability and sectorbased skills, Work Hounslow support resident jobseekers to ensure they can successfully return to the workforce. In collaboration with the Hilton Garden Inn, Hatton Cross, a tailored 3-week programme of fully funded learning was developed.
Learn Hounslow’s Hospitality tutors said of the programme…’’ Sector Based Work Academies are an excellent opportunity for our jobseekers who are eager to upskill and improve their job prospects. The Hospitality course we developed was tailor-made specifically to meet the employers’ needs, which allowed the learners to accommodate the course around their busy schedules and feel the vibe of the workplace. And the guaranteed job interview was a great benefit!’’ Hilton Garden Inn enjoyed great success with the approach as the Hotel’s General Manager, Richard Lee discusses…’’The hospitality industry is facing a significant staffing crisis since the pandemic and employers are in a battle to recruit and retain the best talent, so as an industry we must find new ways to reach out and engage with candidates who have not previously considered a career in hospitality.
WORK HOUNSLOW If you would like to reskill or upskill for work, come along to one of our Information sessions to find out more. WORK HOUNSLOW If you would like to reskill or upskill for work, come along to one of our Information sessions to find out more. Work Hounslow Supporting Hounslow Residents and Find out how Work Hounslow can help you re-skill or up-skill to improve Find out how Work Hounslow can help you re-skill or up-skill to improve your employment prospects at one of our information sessions. Businesses to Thrive At Hilton Garden Inn we worked closely with your employment prospects at one of our information sessions. Our interactive information sessions take place once a week. Learn Hounslow and Work Hounslow to create an opportunity for local job seekers to receive hospitality skills training, employability support, Our interactive information sessions take place once a week. Register onto an information session to find out your options with us today. including an onsite visit to the hotel with a guaranteed job interview. I was really impressed with the calibre of candidates and how much they learnt during the program, and I am sure that they have great potential to develop Register onto an information session to find out your options with us today. To find out more or register, talk to one of our advisors. successful careers in the hospitality industry.’’ Work Hounslow’s current offer includes To find out more or register, talk to one of our advisors. Email skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.uk Hospitality, Health & Social Care, Catering and Business Administration. The team can also support with general recruitment needs for Hounslow businesses as well as promoting roles Email skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.ukor call 07790359392. or call 07790359392. on our portal and via our regular resident bulletin. To see how the team can help you and your business, please do contact us; our Employer Engagement Coordinator Deborah Adams will be happy to Visit the website to register help deborah.adams@hounslow.gov.uk. onto an information session: To find current opportunities and latest news, please visit the Work Hounslow website at www.workhounslow.co.uk Visit the website to register www.workhounslow.co.uk
Find out how Work Hounslow can help you re-skill or up-skill to improve your employment prospects at one of our information sessions. Our interactive information sessions take place once a week. Register onto an information session to find out your options with us today.
