Sandwell Council cabinet member quits after just three months in the role
Reform councillor Matt Lloyd takes over children and families with immediate effect
A Sandwell Council cabinet member has stepped down just three months after taking on the role.
Mona Khurana, who represents Blackheath, has quit as cabinet member for children and families.
Reform councillor Matt Lloyd becomes the new cabinet member with immediate effect.
Why she's stepped down
Council leader Ray Nock said Councillor Khurana had left the role due to increased family responsibilities.
Councillor Nock, leader of Sandwell Council, said: "I want to thank Councillor Khurana for her work over the last few months as cabinet member for children and families and I'm sad that an increase in her family responsibilities means she can no longer continue in the role.
"My cabinet is totally committed to making our borough an even better place to live and work, and I'm delighted that Councillor Lloyd is stepping up into this role.
"Children and young people are the future of our borough, and Councillor Lloyd will be leading on this key area of council activity to make sure every child in Sandwell has the right support from birth through to becoming a young adult with the right skills to have the best chance in life."
Her departure leaves Sandwell Council with an all-male cabinet.
The new cabinet member
Councillor Matt Lloyd, the new cabinet member for children and families, said: "I look forward to building on the recent Ofsted judgement that our children's services are rated 'good'.
"We will be working hard to make sure children in Sandwell are safe and protected, and that the right support is in place, particularly for those with special educational needs and disabilities."
Reform's takeover of the council
Reform took control of Sandwell Council in a historic win in May, when Labour lost its grip on power for the first time since 1979.
Councillor Khurana was appointed cabinet member for children and families shortly after.
Children's services rating
Sandwell's children's services were rated 'good' by Ofsted for the first time in more than a decade at the end of last year.
Previous inspections by the watchdog under former Labour administrations judged children's services 'inadequate' in 2013 and 2015, before it was taken over by Sandwell Children's Trust in 2018.
The service was judged to 'require improvements' in 2022 before its 'good' rating in 2025, when inspectors said the council's children's services had made "significant changes."