I’m Sarah Martin and I’m Chief Officer and Director of Corporate Services at Dartford Borough Council. I started my local government career some thirty years ago at Dover District Council as an Internal Auditor. I then moved into Finance progressing from the role of Housing Revenue Accountant to Principal Accountant. After a short spell as a consultant at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, I moved to Thanet District Council as Financial Services Manager in 2007. I joined Dartford Borough Council in 2014 as a Director and S151 Officer with responsibility for Finance, Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology, Revenues and Benefits, Communications, Customer Services, Policy and Performance and Major Projects. Following a corporate restructure last year, I’m now the Chief Officer and Head of Paid Services. Working in local government is so rewarding. Having the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of local residents is a real privilege.