Head of Service – Children’s Social Care

Head of Service – Children’s Social Care Location: Dorset / Hybrid Rate: £458.84 per day PAYE / £600.00 per day Umbrella Duration: 6 months initially

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Head of Service – Children’s Social Care to join a local authority Children’s Services team on an interim basis.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced children’s social care professional with a strong background in Children in Care, permanence, care planning and corporate parenting.

The Role

As Head of Service, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across a key area of Children’s Social Care, ensuring high-quality practice, strong performance and positive outcomes for children and young people.

You will lead managers and professional teams, drive service improvement and ensure practice is compliant with statutory requirements and local authority policies.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic and operational leadership across Children’s Social Care.

• Leading services relating to Children in Care, permanence and care planning.

• Ensuring children receive high-quality, timely and effective support.

• Driving improvements in practice, performance and outcomes.

• Providing effective management oversight and professional challenge.

• Working closely with senior officers, partner agencies and elected members.

• Supporting effective corporate parenting arrangements.

• Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and statutory guidance.

• Monitoring performance, risk and quality assurance.

• Leading and supporting service managers and wider social care teams.

• Contributing to wider Children’s Services improvement activity.

About You

We are looking for an experienced senior children's social care leader who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience at Head of Service, Service Manager, Assistant Director or equivalent level.

• Strong experience within Children’s Social Care.

• Substantial experience of Children in Care / Looked After Children and permanence.

• Strong knowledge of statutory children's social care frameworks and legislation.

• Experience leading service improvement and quality assurance.

• Strong understanding of safeguarding and risk management.

• Experience managing complex teams and working with senior stakeholders.

• The ability to operate confidently in a politically sensitive local authority environment.

• A track record of improving performance, practice and outcomes.

Social Work England registration and a relevant social work qualification are essential.

If you are an experienced Children's Social Care leader looking for a senior interim opportunity, please get in touch for further information.

The client is a public sector organisation and further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates