Head of Service

Head of Service - Locality and Targeted Early Help Services

Fixed Term Appointment - 6 Months

We are seeking to appoint an experienced and dynamic Head of Service - Locality and Targeted Early Help within the Children's Services Directorate, reporting directly to the Service Director.

This is an exciting opportunity for an established senior leader to provide strategic and operational leadership across Locality and Targeted Early Help Services during a significant period of service development and transformation. The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening early intervention, delivering family help reforms and ensuring children, young people and families receive the right help at the right time.

The Successful Candidate Will:

• Lead and manage Locality and Targeted Early Help Services, ensuring high-quality, effective and outcome-focused support is provided to children, young people and families.
• Provide strategic leadership for the ongoing development and implementation of Family Help, ensuring services are aligned to national reform and local priorities.
• Lead operational services in delivering preventative and targeted interventions that build family resilience, reduce escalation into statutory services and improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Ensure that services meet governance arrangements, policies, procedures and statutory responsibilities.
• Promote effective multi-agency working and ensure families receive coordinated support through a whole-family approach.
• Lead the identification, development and implementation of innovative service improvements and opportunities to strengthen service delivery.
• Establish and foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning, accountability and partnership working across all service areas.
• Effectively manage service performance, quality assurance arrangements and budgets, ensuring resources are maximised.
• Ensure services can evidence their impact through robust performance management arrangements, data analysis and outcome measurement.
• Develop and sustain a culture that places children, young people and families at the centre of service delivery and decision making.
• Maintain awareness of national legislation, policy developments and best practice, implementing changes where required.
• Manage health, safety and wellbeing responsibilities effectively, ensuring staff work within a safe and supportive environment.
• Provide effective leadership, supervision and performance management to managers and staff, supporting workforce development and high standards of professional practice.

We Are Looking For Someone Who:

• Has significant senior leadership experience within Children's Services.
• Has a strong understanding of Early Help, Family Help, safeguarding and partnership working.
• Has experience of leading complex operational services and delivering successful service improvements.
• Has experience of leading change and transformation programmes.
• Has a strong track record of improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
• Has experience of managing significant budgets, performance frameworks and workforce development.
• Can build positive relationships across a wide range of partners and stakeholders.
• Is passionate about prevention, early intervention and delivering the best possible outcomes for children and families.

What can I expect?

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy up to 10 extra days of annual leave
• Hybrid working (subject to role suitability)
• Access to high-quality training programs to advance your career to the next level.
• We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that resilient teams need good work life balance as well as supportive leadership.
• Discounted and subsidised public transport (Arriva Bus Annual Travel Ticket, Northern Trains Limited (NTL), MetroCard).
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) scheme providing a tax efficient way to increase our pension.
• Great range of benefits including an Employee Assistant Programme, discounted membership to our excellent leisure facilities with free 12 weeks exercise program, discounts for a range of retail, entertainment, health and leisure providers, a cycle to work scheme, and many more

Want to know more?

If you would like to know more about the role, the recruitment process or working for Wakefield Council, feel free to contact.

Name: Cheryl Whitehouse - Service Director, Children's Social Care

E-mail: cwhitehouse@wakefield.gov.uk

Join us and make a real impact in the community. Apply today to become a valued member of our team!

Safeguarding

Wakefield Council is wholly committed to ensuring children and vulnerable adults are fully supported and safe. We are dedicated to the safeguarding of all children and vulnerable adults whilst promoting their welfare. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this responsibility.

DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service)

The successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure Application Form and to provide criminal conviction information.

Probation

In accordance with the Council Probation Procedure, this post is subject to a 6-month Probationary Period.

Fluency Duty

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), public facing roles will be subject to the Fluency Duty.

Diversity

Having a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve helps us to achieve the best outcomes for all. We encourage applications from everyone and actively seek to ensure that everyone feels included in the workplace so that we can make the most of our differences.

Why Wakefield

To find out more about the benefits of working at Wakefield Council, click here.