Service Director - Practice, Improvement & Quality Employer: Wokingham Borough Council Salary: £89,723 - £109,637 per annum, plus benefits Location: Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End/Home Working, Shute End, Wokingham Contract: Permanent Working Pattern: Full Time Hours: 37 hours per week. DBS Check: No Closing Date: 09/03/2025 at 23:00 Reference: 710773 Wokingham Borough Council are looking for a dynamic and inspiring Service Director - Practice, Improvement & Quality, to join our Department Leadership Team in Children’s Services. The Opportunity We have a fantastic opportunity available for a Service Director - Practice, Improvement & Quality to join our Children’s Services Team here at Wokingham Borough Council, on a full time, permanent basis. As the Service Director for Practice, Improvement and Quality, you will take a collective and shared responsibility for the effective leadership and corporate management of the Council’s services and delivery of improved outcomes for children and their families. This role will act as a professional lead for developing our relational framework of practice (based upon systemic principles and rooted in a restorative, strengths-based approach to working with children and their families) to embed the approach across Children’s Services. Within this role you will be working with internal and external partners to provide compassionate and inspiring leadership that is capable of developing strong and effective relationships with partners and our community, to drive improved outcomes for children, families and carers. Wokingham Borough Council is committed to ensuring that all children and families within the borough receive the highest level of care and support. Our Vision As part of our vision across Children’s Services, we are delighted to continue building a permanent senior leadership team, to deliver key strategic improvements across our services. Our Social Workers feel well supported by visible leaders, managers and peers, with some staff having actively chosen to work in Wokingham because they appreciate the bespoke approach that makes them feel valued. Ofsted feedback March 2024: “Senior leaders, including the leader of the council, the lead member and the chief executive, have worked together effectively to improve the experiences and progress of children and to secure the investment required to enable the progress to continue. The quality assurance framework has been reviewed and updated, with a clear focus on improving the quality of supervision”. The Person As our Service Director - Practice, Improvement & Quality, you will be an enthusiastic leader, committed to the improvement and quality of services provided to our residents. You will inspire change and support high developing teams that can challenge the ‘status quo’ and driving efficiencies where required. Your visible leadership will impact beyond individual service areas and organisational boundaries to create solutions, build relationships, and inspire ideas that span the entire system across education and social care, to build credibility with children, parents, partners, schools, the local community, and Ofsted. To hear from our Director of Children's Services, click the link below: https://youtu.be/0LMvIpRXPxY Benefits: Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including: ⭐ A generous annual leave entitlement of 31 days (rising to 36 days after 5 years continued local government service), plus Bank Holidays ⭐ Enrolment to an excellent local government pension scheme ⭐ An employee assistance programme including 24/7 wellbeing helpline ⭐ A range of local & lifestyle discounts ⭐ Use of a free onsite gym (located at Shute End office) ⭐ Salary sacrifice car & cycle to work schemes ⭐ And much more Our Area Wokingham Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside. We’re home to a range of high performing schools including 69 primary and 21 secondary, a host of international businesses and an increasingly diverse and incredible community. We have a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life. We are looking for an authentic and engaging individual with a passion for making a positive impact on children, young people and their families. So, if you’re currently a Service Director or looking for an opportunity to develop and step up into a new role, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Click the link at the bottom of the page and apply today Alternatively, for more information or to arrange an informal discussion with Emma Cockerell, Director of Children’s Services, please contact Lee Partridge or Mathilda Barker from the Recruitment Team on recruitwokingham.gov.uk. Closing Date: Sunday 9th March 2025, 11pm For the Interview Process and Schedule, please see the attachment at the bottom of the page. Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer. Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks. Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer. How to apply Please apply online via the link provided. Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form. Further information on this vacancy Service Director - Practice, Improvement & Quality Job Description Interview Schedule - Service Director - Practice, Improvement & Quality