Head of Service - Children’s Services
Salary: £77,517 p.a. plus benefits
Closing date: 6 October 2024
We are 12 months into a two-year transformation journey to turn around our children’s services and looking for three new Heads of Service to join us.
We’ve successfully embedded new models of practice and launched a new Front Door service. We passionately believe in putting relationship-based practice at the centre of everything we do to improve outcomes for our children.
OFSTED has recognised our ‘steady and positive’ progress. We know things are changing for the better but there’s more to do.
We’re looking for brilliant people to join our journey.
Have you got what it takes to inspire our teams and give them the confidence that underpins really high performance? Are you committed to the welfare of children, and passionate about supporting them to achieve their potential?
About these roles
Our new Heads of Service will directly shape the future of our children’s services, providing leadership across their respective specialist areas and with senior leaders and partners, developing and implementing strategies that are focused on improving outcomes for children and young people and their families now and for years to come.
These opportunities will suit people with exceptional leadership skills who are committed to the welfare of children. They offer the chance to work within an organisation that has an unwavering commitment to delivering services that support all our children to achieve their potential.
About us
Swindon is one of the South West’s best kept secrets - a thriving and diverse modern town full of hidden gems and ranked among the UK’s top places to live.
We’re a small authority with big ambitions – we’re striving to be both one of the best local authorities, and one of the most modern and forward-thinking. We want to make Swindon the best place we can for those who live, work, and visit here.
We passionately believe in putting relationship-based practice at the heart of everything we do. This is what helps us to provide high-quality support to families so that children can have the best start in life and grow up safe, healthy, and able to achieve their potential.
The improvements we have introduced across our children’s services are already having a positive impact on our ability to provide consistent and unbroken support to children and young people.
We are proud of the feedback from our social workers, who feel supported, and from OFSTED, which has recognised our steady and positive progress.
Why Swindon?
We know that for our children to thrive, we must create the very best work environment for our teams to thrive. That is why we have invested in creating the very best work environment for teams to thrive. This includes smaller, more manageable caseloads, stable leadership teams, a genuine commitment to supervision, and clear training and development opportunities.
* Partnership working: We work closely with our strategic partners across Swindon to ensure our children and families get the right help, from the right teams, as quickly as possible.
* Our Family Safeguarding Model: This model demonstrates our commitment to developing high-quality systemic and relationship-based social work practice and encompasses our principles.
* Career development and training: Our Social Work and Leadership Academy develops practitioners and leaders, providing a framework that can support colleagues at any level through their employment.
* Flexible working.
* Relocation allowance of up to £8,000 (eligibility criteria apply).
* Competitive salaries.
* Free parking at our central Swindon campus.
* A career average revalued earnings (CARE) pension scheme.
* 31 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays) for 5 years or less service.
* Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
Your next steps
For an informal discussion regarding the position, the organisation, and the team structure, please contact Gwynne Rayns, Head of Transformation Children’s Services on 0747 2086213 or email GRayns@swindon.gov.uk.
To find out more about the roles, our offer, and to apply visit https://jobs.swindon.gov.uk/headofservice.
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