Michael Tichelar, children's services strategy manager, Bath and North East Somerset Council

MICHAEL TICHELAR

Employer: Bath and North East Somerset Council
Age: 57
Time in job: A year
Salary range: £39,000 to £45,000

Michael Tichelar is the local area partnership strategy manager for children's services at Bath and North East Somerset Council. His job over the past year has been to "establish governance arrangements" within the three local area partnerships. "The aim of these partnerships is to deliver improved outcomes for children and young people," he explains.

These partnerships are multi-agency and include young people, parents and carers. Eventually, they will be responsible for overseeing services for children and young people in that area. "My job has been to work with the partners to agree who should sit on the board and what rules should govern the board. I had to make sure everything was joined up and that staff on the ground knew what was going to happen," he says. "There was a lot of promotion work initially and cajoling people to support it. It has also been hard engaging with young people, parents and carers," Tichelar says.