Head of Service, Front Door
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Job Summary
- Strategic Leadership
- Lead and manage the Front Door Service.
- Provide strategic and operational leadership across safeguarding functions.
- Ensure effective and timely interventions for children and families.
- Contribute to the Childrens Services improvement programme.
- Drive sustainable service improvement and practice excellence.
- Lead and manage the Front Door Service.
- Safeguarding & Child Protection
- Lead Children in Need Child Protection Pre-Proceedings Court Work and Safeguarding Services.
- Ensure child-focused effective safeguarding practices compliant with statutory requirements.
- Promote strong decision-making and effective risk management.
- Maintain high standards of practice and professional accountability.
- Lead Children in Need Child Protection Pre-Proceedings Court Work and Safeguarding Services.
- Service Improvement
- Lead service improvement initiatives and transformation programmes.
- Use performance data and quality assurance findings to drive change.
- Identify development areas and implement improvement plans.
- Ensure continuous improvement in service delivery and outcomes.
- Lead service improvement initiatives and transformation programmes.
- Practice Leadership
- Champion restorative and relationship-based social work practice.
- Promote excellent social work standards across teams.
- Support managers and practitioners in delivering high-quality interventions.
- Embed Family Safeguarding principles and systemic practice approaches.
- Champion restorative and relationship-based social work practice.
- Performance Management
- Monitor service performance and statutory compliance.
- Ensure performance targets and service objectives are achieved.
- Use management information to assess effectiveness and inform decision-making.
- Address areas of underperformance and implement corrective actions.
- Monitor service performance and statutory compliance.
- Court & Legal Services
- Oversee court proceedings and pre-proceedings work.
- Collaborate effectively with legal services and court representatives.
- Ensure robust evidence-based decision-making.
- Support managers and staff involved in legal processes.
- Oversee court proceedings and pre-proceedings work.
- Partnership & Multi-Agency Working
- Build effective relationships with Police Health Services Education Providers Legal Services and Safeguarding Partnerships.
- Promote effective partnership working across agencies.
- Strengthen safeguarding arrangements through collaborative working.
- Build effective relationships with Police Health Services Education Providers Legal Services and Safeguarding Partnerships.
- Workforce Development
- Lead support and develop managers and practitioners.
- Promote a positive supportive and accountable culture.
- Support workforce planning learning and development activities.
- Encourage reflective supervision and continuous professional development.
- Lead support and develop managers and practitioners.
- Qualifications
- Essential: Degree in Social Work or equivalent recognised qualification; Current Social Work England registration.
- Desirable: Leadership or management qualification; Post-qualifying social work awards; Management development or safeguarding leadership training.
- Essential: Degree in Social Work or equivalent recognised qualification; Current Social Work England registration.
- Knowledge
- Extensive knowledge of Children Act 1989 and 2004 Working Together to Safeguard Children Child Protection Procedures Public Law Outline (PLO) Care Proceedings Family Court Processes and safeguarding legislation and guidance.
- Understanding of Family Safeguarding and restorative practice models.
- Knowledge of performance management and quality assurance frameworks.
- Extensive knowledge of Children Act 1989 and 2004 Working Together to Safeguard Children Child Protection Procedures Public Law Outline (PLO) Care Proceedings Family Court Processes and safeguarding legislation and guidance.
- Experience
- Essential: Significant senior management experience within Childrens Social Care; Experience leading Front Door or Safeguarding Services; Experience overseeing Child Protection Children in Need Pre-Proceedings and Court Work; Experience delivering service improvement and transformation programmes; Experience managing large multidisciplinary teams; Experience working with inspection frameworks and improvement plans; Experience working with courts legal services and safeguarding partners.
- Desirable: Experience within a local authority improvement journey; Experience implementing Family Safeguarding models; Experience developing leadership and management capability across services.
- Essential: Significant senior management experience within Childrens Social Care; Experience leading Front Door or Safeguarding Services; Experience overseeing Child Protection Children in Need Pre-Proceedings and Court Work; Experience delivering service improvement and transformation programmes; Experience managing large multidisciplinary teams; Experience working with inspection frameworks and improvement plans; Experience working with courts legal services and safeguarding partners.
- Skills & Competencies
- Strong strategic leadership skills.
- Excellent safeguarding knowledge and decision-making capability.
- Outstanding communication and influencing skills.
- Ability to lead change and drive improvement.
- Strong analytical and performance management skills.
- Ability to build effective partnerships.
- Excellent people management and coaching skills.
- Strong understanding of quality assurance and audit processes.
- Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
- Strong strategic leadership skills.
- This is a 6-month temporary contract.
- Rate: 600.00 per day (Umbrella).
- Location: Swindon.
- Pay is provided on a bi-weekly basis.
- Social Work England registration is essential.
- Previous senior leadership experience within Childrens Safeguarding Services is essential.
- Experience leading Front Door Services Child Protection Court Work and Children in Need services is essential.
- Local authority experience is essential.
- Opportunity to lead a critical service area at the centre of Childrens Services improvement and transformation.
Required Skills:
Person Specification Qualifications Essential Degree in Social Work or equivalent recognised qualification. Current Social Work England registration. Desirable Leadership or management qualification. Post-qualifying social work awards. Management development or safeguarding leadership training. Knowledge Essential Extensive knowledge of: Children Act 1989 and 2004 Working Together to Safeguard Children Child Protection Procedures Public Law Outline (PLO) Care Proceedings Family Court Processes Safeguarding legislation and guidance Understanding of Family Safeguarding and restorative practice models. Knowledge of performance management and quality assurance frameworks. Experience Essential Significant senior management experience within Childrens Social Care. Experience leading Front Door or Safeguarding Services. Experience overseeing Child Protection Children in Need Pre-Proceedings and Court Work. Experience delivering service improvement and transformation programmes. Experience managing large multidisciplinary teams. Experience working with inspection frameworks and improvement plans. Experience working with courts legal services and safeguarding partners. Desirable Experience within a local authority improvement journey. Experience implementing Family Safeguarding models. Experience developing leadership and management capability across services. Skills & Competencies Essential Strong strategic leadership skills. Excellent safeguarding knowledge and decision-making capability. Outstanding communication and influencing skills. Ability to lead change and drive improvement. Strong analytical and performance management skills. Ability to build effective partnerships. Excellent people management and coaching skills. Strong understanding of quality assurance and audit processes. Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities. Additional Information This is a 6-month temporary contract Rate: 600.00 per day (Umbrella) Location: Swindon 37 hours per week Pay is provided on a bi-weekly basis Social Work England registration is essential Previous senior leadership experience within Childrens Safeguarding Services is essential Experience leading Front Door Services Child Protection Court Work and Children in Need services is essential Local authority experience is essential Opportunity to lead a critical service area at the centre of Childrens Services improvement and transformation.
