Birmingham City Council has confirmed that Dr Susan Harrison, its executive director of children and families, formally left her role on 12 June 2026 – more than six months after she stopped attending work in January.
Dr Harrison, who was appointed in 2021, oversaw a £400m annual budget and was responsible for the children, families and schools agenda. Her sudden absence in January prompted questions from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which was told at the time that her absence was not due to ill health, though the council declined to explain the reason behind it.
Salary and departure details
The council's accounts for the year ending 31 March 2026 show that Dr Harrison was the third-best-paid official at the authority, earning an annual salary of £208,057. With pension contributions of £56,592 on top, her total remuneration for the year reached £264,648. The pay she received from April until her departure date will be disclosed in the next council accounts.
The council has only recently advertised her permanent role, with job ads stating it is seeking a new director of children and families on a 'highly competitive' salary.
Leadership during absence
At the time of her absence in January, interim boss James Thomas – already chief executive of Birmingham Children's Trust – said he was 'temporarily' overseeing the delivery of children's services. The council has now confirmed that Stuart Lackenby, director of adults services, and James Thomas are jointly undertaking the statutory and leadership responsibilities of the director of children's services role until a permanent appointment is made.
In a statement, Birmingham City Council said: “We can confirm that Dr Susan Harrison left her role as Executive Director of Children’s and Families on 12 June 2026. We would like to thank Dr Harrison for her enduring commitment to the Children and Young People of Birmingham, and the work that she has done for them during her time with Birmingham City Council, and wish her all the best in future.”
Record in office and previous role
During her time in office, Birmingham's children's services – mostly operated by the children's trust – were rated 'good' by Ofsted after years of failure. An inspection of SEND services for young people in the city in 2025 said the combined council and health services had improved after previous failings, but warned that the experiences of children with special educational needs and disabilities in the city were inconsistent.
Dr Harrison previously served as director of children's services in Central Bedfordshire, where parents had criticised the council's SEND provision. When she left that role to take up her position in Birmingham, she received £82,707 in 'compensation for loss of office' from Central Bedfordshire Council. Her appointment in Birmingham followed the resignation of Dr Tim O'Neill, who moved to become managing director of children's services at the charity Action for Children.
The council has not disclosed any further details about the circumstances of Dr Harrison's departure. Her pay from April to her official leaving date will be published in the next set of council accounts.
