Milton Keynes appoints youth work champion as DCS

Michael Bracey has been promoted from his previous post as assistant DCS, a role he has held since September 2009, to the newly created role of corporate director of people.

In his new role, Bracey has overall responsibility for the town’s children’s services and shares oversight of adult social care and public health with other top management.

He was appointed interim DCS in November last year, replacing Ged Rowney who held the post for six months following the departure of previous DCS Gail Tolley to Brent Council in April last year.

Since joining Milton Keynes more than five years ago, Bracey has helped raise school standards in the town, with four out of five primaries now rated "good" or "outstanding" by Ofsted.

Before joining the authority, he was head of youth support services at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and also worked on the implementation of the youth support reform programme at the now defunct Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Bracey has a degree in youth and community work and chairs the NYA’s Youth Work Foundation, a £40,000 bursary scheme designed to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds gain youth work qualifications.

Commenting on his appointment, Bracey said: “Milton Keynes is such a dynamic, diverse and fast developing place.

“I enjoy living and working here and am delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with teams and across the council and our partners to build on the significant progress that we have made in recent years.”