C/o Members’ Services
Floor 3, Civic Offices
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
PO1 2AL
Email:Cllr.Judith.Smyth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Mobile: 07974 – 820226
Judith holds her ward suregry at Southsea Library, Palmerston Road, Southsea from 3.30pm to 5.30pm (no appointment needed).
Dates for 2018:-
19 June, 24 July, 18 September, 16 October, 20 November, 18 December
Dates for 2019:-
18 January, 19 February, 19 March
Judith has lived in Southsea for over forty years and worked in or for the public sector for the whole of her career. Judith’s husband Terry worked for Portsmouth University until he retired. Their children went to Southsea Infant, Craneswater and Priory schools. She is out and about in Southsea and on the sea front, walking and cycling, and in the summer often swims in the sea.
‘We love living in St Jude’s, there is so much going on and I want to work with visitors to and everyone living and working in the ward to make it even better for all’.
She’s been involved both professionally, and as a volunteer, with many developments in the city. As a town planner she was part of the team that founded Portsmouth Housing Association, managing tenancies and buying, re-furbishing and developing decent housing for homeless people across the city.
When Judith was chair of Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Health Authority, working with local government, the organisation was able to considerably improve public health and health outcomes for the most disadvantaged groups in the area. After taking her MBA at Portsmouth
University Judith won a fellowship to study ‘The use and abuse of competition in the procurement of public services’ in the USA. On her return she published papers on public housing, mental health and substance abuse services, and pioneered work on tenant involvement in housing associations both of which helped to shape public policy in the UK.
Judith was on the board of Portsmouth Housing Association through the mergers to form FirstWessex, (now Vivid), where she championed work with homeless people and those needing housing support. She recently resigned after a short time as a NED for Southern Health care NHS Trust during very difficult times. She says: ‘I do not believe that private companies should make profit from public contracts and have practical experience in effective commissioning and improving local government and NHS services.’
Working as a Director of the Office for Public Management, a leading employee owned not for profit management consultancy in London, she was involved in improving public governance and support for the integration of health and social care. She worked on the Narrowing the Gap
programme for children and families and designed, won and led the DFE commissioning support programme to improve children’s lives across England. She says: ‘I believe the true measure of success is improving people’s lives rather than measuring process and activity.’
Now semi- retired, Judith is Chair of the Board of Trustees at the New Theatre Royal, a non-executive director of an academy trust and Chair of governors at two schools in the city. Ofsted has recently rated the schools as good and outstanding and seen governance and leadership as strong.
She says: ‘I am passionate about social and economic justice for all and want to contribute towards Portsmouth becoming a fairer city where local government is able to improve people’s lives. I want to support a strong local economy building on the success of local business. I want Portsmouth to be a clean, green City leading the way in environmental, economic and social success.’