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Director of Young People and Opportunities
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A defining role for young people in Newham
Newham is one of the most exciting, diverse and ambitious places in London. It is a borough of remarkable energy, creativity and community strength, and a place where the Council is determined that every child and young person should be safe, supported, heard and able to thrive. It is also a borough where stark inequalities exist, with high levels of deprivation and poverty there is a need to continuously strive to tackle systemic and structural racism and discrimination in all that the Council and their partners do for our children, young people and families.
With the launch of Newham’s Youth Safety Strategy 2025–2028, the Council and its partners are moving decisively towards a whole-system approach to youth safety: prevention, safeguarding, disruption, opportunity and place working together to reduce violence, exploitation and harm. This is a defining moment for the borough, and for the services that work with and for young people.
The Director of Young People and Opportunities is a new role created to ensure Newham is at the forefront of excellent practice and outcomes for children, young people and their families, including enhancing the borough’s ability to tackle racism, inequality and discrimination that exists for our residents. You will lead a multidisciplinary portfolio spanning youth services, youth justice, targeted youth support, NEET reduction, post-16 education and wider youth commissioning. Reporting directly to the Corporate Director of Children and Young People, you will bring these services together under a clearer strategic vision, creating the conditions for earlier intervention, stronger partnerships and better outcomes for children and young people up to the age of 25.
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This is a high-profile leadership role at the heart of Newham’s political and partnership agenda. You will work closely with elected members, the police, MOPAC, probation, health, schools, the voluntary and community sector, and young people and families themselves. You will strengthen key governance arrangements, including the Youth Safety Strategy implementation and Youth Justice Management Board, and help ensure that youth justice, youth safety and prevention are given the focus, expertise and traction they need.
You will inherit services with real strengths: committed teams, a strong safeguarding partnership, innovative practice in areas such as disproportionality and policing with compassion, and a borough-wide commitment to co-production. You will also bring the leadership needed to provide clarity, care and pace where services need to reset, repair and improve. Visible, relational and compassionate leadership will matter here, as will the confidence to grip performance, quality assurance, statutory responsibilities and delivery.
You will join part of a stable leadership team who run compassionate and collaborative services for children with an Ofsted rating of Outstanding.
About You
We are looking for a strategic and operationally credible leader with significant experience across youth, youth justice, exploitation, serious youth violence, early intervention and partnership working. You may already be operating at Assistant Director level or be an exceptional Head of Service ready to step up. A social work qualification is not essential, but you will need a sophisticated understanding of safeguarding, statutory youth justice, commissioning, performance, risk and the lived experience of young people.
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You will be values-led, politically astute and able to hold your own in complex, high-profile environments. You will have a track record of addressing disproportionality and inequality, and bring a genuine commitment to anti-racist, anti-discriminatory, inclusive and community-centred practice. Above all, you will be motivated by the opportunity to help Newham reduce harm, expand opportunity and build a stronger system around the children and young people who need it most.
This is a rare opportunity to shape a newly focused portfolio at a critical point in Newham’s journey, bringing together universal youth provision, targeted support and statutory youth justice within a coherent, ambitious and accountable model for change.
For a confidential conversation, please contact Frazer Thouard (frazer.thouard@gatenbysanderson.com), Emily Lockwood (emily.lockwood@gatenbysanderson.com), or Kembi Coakelin (kembi.coakelin@gatenbysanderson.com) at GatenbySanderson.
Closing date: 11.59 Sunday 13 September 2026
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