Head of Service - MASH and Early Help

Join Harrow Children’s Services

Help shape our front door, strengthen early help and improve outcomes for children and families

Harrow is looking for an experienced, confident and ambitious social work qualified leader to take on the role of Head of MASH and Early Help. This is a key strategic role at the front door of Children’s Services, working with partners to ensure children, young people and families receive the right help, at the right time, from the right service.

The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub is central to Harrow’s safeguarding arrangements, bringing together information, professional judgement and partnership expertise to support timely, proportionate and effective decision-making. Alongside this, our Early Help offer plays a vital role in identifying need earlier, strengthening families and preventing escalation wherever possible.

As Head of Service, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across MASH and Early Help, leading multi-disciplinary teams and working closely with Social Care, Police, Health, Education and wider partnership colleagues. You will drive high-quality practice, strengthen decision-making, support service improvement and ensure that children and families experience coordinated, responsive and effective support.

What makes this role special?

• Lead services that sit at the heart of Harrow’s safeguarding and prevention system, ensuring children are identified, assessed and supported effectively.
• Shape the development of integrated, multi-agency practice across the front door and early help arrangements.
• Champion strengths-based, relationship-based and family-led practice, with a clear focus on early intervention, prevention and sustainable outcomes.
• Use performance insight, audit, quality assurance and professional curiosity to drive continuous improvement and support confident decision-making.
• Work collaboratively with other senior leaders and partners to strengthen safeguarding responses, manage risk well and promote inclusive, anti-racist, culturally competent practice.

We are looking for a strategic and resilient leader with a strong background in children’s social care, safeguarding and early help. You will bring credibility, sound judgement and the ability to lead in a complex, fast-paced environment where partnership working, risk management and high-quality practice are essential.

You will be confident in providing both support and challenge, developing managers and practitioners, and creating the conditions for reflective, evidence-informed and child-centred practice. You will also be able to translate strategy into delivery, using data and intelligence to improve services, manage demand and demonstrate impact for children and families.

Your experience will include:

• A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Substantial experience in children’s services, including leadership of safeguarding, MASH, assessment and Early Help services.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, thresholds, information-sharing and multi-agency decision-making.
• A proven ability to lead service improvement, strengthen practice quality and use performance information to evaluate impact.
• Experience of managing people, budgets and resources effectively within a complex service environment.
• Excellent communication and partnership skills, with the ability to engage confidently with staff, senior leaders, elected members, schools, partners and communities.
• A strong commitment to equality, anti-racist & culturally competent practice, professional curiosity and improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape Harrow’s early help and safeguarding front door at a pivotal time for Children’s Services. If you are an inclusive, proactive and improvement-focused leader who is passionate about making a difference, we would welcome your application.

Closing date: 20 September 2026.

Interviews: 8 - 9 October 2026.

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