19 year old in charge of Children’s Services for Leicestershire Council

[MmeChoufleur]

Reform have appointed a 19 year old, Councillor Charles Pugsley, to run Children’s Services for Leicestershire County Council, . How would you feel about this if you lived in the borough and had SEND children?

Does this make a mockery of democracy, handing over such an important role to a person with no experience in the workplace, certainly not at any high level?

Will this make Reform voters sit up and think about the consequences of voting for this party?

Indeed, but the civil service doesn't tend to put 19yos without any experience in charge of multi million pound budgets.

lol most people I knew thought Mhairi Black was a big Ned.

Reform is a one-man-band outfit, and he is trading on that. Hopefully the er...'glitter' will have fallen off the big leader before the actual next election.

Well Alexander the Great was successfully conquering the world at that age, you never know. He might do ok.

As someone who for many years has had to work with over privileged, private schooled nepo hires, I’m fairly sure he will stick around for a couple of years, do what he’s told by the experienced public servants and then be shifted sideways into whatever role his parents can influence.

The damage that has been done to the education system and all the various areas that fall within that has been done by people old enough to know better and choose not to do better.

Well yeah cos Tice and co have all the appeal of a soggy turd, not to mention a lack of intelligence.

He's not in charge of multi million pound budgets. The Director of Children's Services is, under the democratic oversight of the full Council.

I was a councillor from 2010-2022 and for a short time held the children and education portfolios. I soon realised I was out of my depth. The size, importance and complexity of this portfolio, the legal ramifications and the time involved are incredible. What does a 50 year old who has no background in Fostering, adoption, youth justice, sen and children’s care know?

This councillor may be young, but being young is no qualification for running this portfolio. Yes, officer of the council will prepare briefings relating to decisions, but the buck stops with the portfolio holder. In the end it isn’t this councillor’s fault. The leader appointed him to the role based upon “he’s young so he will understand childish issues” (sic).

this is a decision that shows contempt for the parents of Leicestershire.

As I understand it, the Cabinet sets the budget and the Director of Children's Services is responsible for delivering within the budget that they set.

As the Cabinet lead for this area, I would expect this young man to have a fair amount of influence. Along with his Andrew-Tate-fan/sacked policeman colleagues.

Actually I was shadow portfolio for children’s, but still…

The Director is responsible for the budget. If the budget gets out of control it will be her head that rolls.

This happened to my old Director of Social Services. Nothing happened to the Cabinet member with this portfolio.

His Private school education is unlikley to help him make decisions on helping SEND children and Looked after children with any experience of the issues they face

Council Officers run things.

Being Cabinet Member just means you answer the question on it in council meetings - the officers prepare everything for you.

Having been a Councillor for a big London Borough many, many years ago, it's really more of a case that you are the point of contact for constituents with problems, but you're a go between rather than the person who does the actual work.

So nope, wouldn't bother me at all - I've met Cllrs who could barely spell their own names, so thick they thought the disk drive in their new computer was a cup-holder (I am not joking), ones that couldn't speak any English, the bone idle and the 'so old they make Biden look like a teenager' who couldn't stay awake in meetings! 19 is the least of the possible downsides.

Have you ever considered looking for a chip for your other shoulder?

Yes, the Director is responsible for managing the budget and keeping it on track. If they fail to do so, they may well get sacked.

But it is the elected politicians that make decisions on how budgets are allocated. A collective decision, yes, but the Cabinet lead for each area will have influence over the decision-making for that area.

In practice, of course, where things are working effectively, the Director may well have significant input into how the budget is allocated. However, it is the elected members that ultimately make those decisions. Admittedly, there may be very little wriggle room when it comes to allocating funds for statutory services...if we can be confident that these will still be delivered under a Reform-led council. Time will tell.

Why? Almost 25% of children in private schools are SEN.

Not all private schools are Eton, and places like Eton have children on 100% bursaries.

Little boy barely out of nappies just wants to patronise working class parents....🤢🤮

Way better than 21-year old 'doctors' of FY1 released onto the wards, I think.

Mhairi Black was only 20 when she was elected to Parliament.

Loads of councillors are still teenagers.

I don't have an issue with teenagers being councillors per se. I do have an issue with them having their own portfolio.

Is his age the only issue? Not incompetent in any other way? I moved out and had my own child at 16 just because you were a big overgrown child until 25 doesn't mean everyone else is

Yes, but she is 'under-pundance' aka let us destroy the Union all the way, to the left of left wing therefore not a whisper of criticism from MN - whilst the other one is a rep of the common sense Reform, therefore let us pour shite on this person! Aye.

Thats the problem with council elections.. People vote for the party not the person, and people who have no idea what the job entails get elected. And you end up with a council where many have no real experience.

As far as I'm concerned, no, his age is not the only issue.

Bloody hell. That's a hell a lot of responsibility for a 19 year old. However sensible and intelligent a 19 year old may be,they just don't have life experience and wisdom. That is why you hardly ever see a Prime Minister or President elected who is under 40.