Bromley director receives King’s Birthday honour

By Hiyastar Newsroom

Bromley Council director Charles Obazuaye has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours for his service to local government.

The council said Obazuaye, its Director of Human Resources and Customer Services, has worked for Bromley for 20 years. His wider public sector career spans 40 years across roles supporting staff, residents and council services.

British Empire Medal for local government service

The British Empire Medal recognises service to the community or public life. In Obazuaye’s case, Bromley Council said the honour reflects his long record in local government and his work with both council employees and residents.

Councillor Colin Smith, Leader of Bromley Council, said he was delighted the work had been recognised. He linked the award to the council’s wider approach to recruitment and staff retention, particularly in social care roles where continuity can affect residents who rely on services.

Smith said recruiting and retaining the right staff is central to any organisation, adding that Bromley has a high proportion of permanently employed social workers rather than relying more heavily on agency workers.

Bromley workforce figures cited by the council

According to the latest council workforce data cited in the announcement, just over 90 per cent of Bromley’s qualified social workers and occupational therapists are employed on a permanent basis.

The council said that helps support continuity of care and reduces reliance on more expensive agency staff. Bromley also said that, during Obazuaye’s time leading Human Resources, the authority opted out of local government national terms and conditions. It described Bromley as the only London authority to have done so, and the only borough nationally to have achieved this since 1991.

The award sits within the wider King’s Birthday Honours list, which has also recognised local public service elsewhere, including other county-level honours for community service.

Smith said Obazuaye had been “an incredible force for good across our borough” over more than two decades, calling the honour a fitting tribute to his career.

Source: Bromley Council