Former UK headteacher appointed Interim Director of new children’s department

Wednesday 13 June 2018

A teacher of 16 years who went on to become the Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council and “tackle some of the toughest issues in local government” will become the first ever Director General for a new States Department centred around child welfare.

Mark Rogers has this week joined the newly-formed Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills from the UK, where he most recently served as a KPMG Consultant and Executive Director of Collaborate CIC.

But States officials described the appointment as “interim”, stating that Mr Rogers will remain in post until a permanent Director General is recruited for the new department.

Working alongside outgoing Education Director Justin Donovan, Mr Rogers will initially focus on implementing the £23million Care Inquiry’s recommendations.

States Chief Executive Charlie Parker said that he was “delighted” that Mr Rogers had “agreed to join the urgent effort to transform children’s services in Jersey.”

Pictured: Mr Rogers spent 16 years working within education before moving towards City Councils and consultancy roles.

“His combination of teaching, children’s services and local government leadership expertise make him uniquely placed to support our drive to make a step change in how we care for, support and develop all children in our island," he said.

Mr Rogers added: “I have spent the vast majority of my working life serving the educational and welfare needs of children, and I have first-hand experience of the problems and pressures that affect childcare, both as a public employee and as a local authority senior leader. 

“As Chief Executive of Solihull Borough and Birmingham City councils, I have tackled some of the toughest issues in local government, but it is the nurturing, protection and development of children, over more than 30 years, that continues to inspire me.

“I’m excited to be joining Jersey at this critical time, when I can use my experience to press forward with the reforms that are needed to children’s services and with the education and skills agenda, to help children and young people to fulfil their potential.” 

Pictured: The Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills is one of several new departments to be created by new States Chief Charlie Parker. (States of Jersey)

Staff were informed of Mr Rogers’ appointment, which was approved by the States Employment Board, this morning. He will form part of a new team of Director Generals leading the States, all serving under Mr Parker’s new system of government, which has involved the creation of several new departments aimed at splitting some services and bringing together others that had previously been apart in a bid to drive out duplication and bureaucracy. In addition to the new Children’s Services Department, those are:

• The Office of the Chief Executive – responsible for working with Ministers, dealing with States’ finances and oversight of Brexit and trade

• Department for the States Treasurer and Exchequer – responsible for the island’s finances

• Department for Customer and Local Services – the ‘front door’ to States services directly dealing with the public

• Department for Health and Community Services – a department with the same remit as the current Health Department, but with an increased focus on community

• Department for Justice and Home Affairs – responsible for public protection and the blue light and emergency services

• Department for Growth, Housing and Island Environment – an agglomeration of the current Infrastructure, Housing and Environment Departments, which will be responsible for ‘Special Projects’ like the Future Hospital

• Department for Strategic Policy, Performance and Population – responsible drafting long-term policies across departments, but by working “alongside them”, rather than in a hierarchical manner, the Chief Executive said

• Chief Operating Office – responsible for ‘back office’ services, including HR, procurement, eGov and IT operations