Some of our readers may have noticed that the back pages of The MJ have been quite replete in the past few months. The local government jobs market is busy.

Chief executives and senior managers are upping sticks and moving to pastures new, some within this sector, many outside it because their skills are often more transferable now they have steered their organisations through austerity. In addition there are desperate shortages in some areas, finance and children's service directors in particular.