London Borough of Bexley
Head of Service – Early Help, Partnerships, Targeted Early Help
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This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and motivated leader to play a key role in shaping the future of Early Help in Bexley.
We are looking for someone who is passionate about making a real difference for children, young people and families and who understands the importance of getting the right support in place at the right time. This role will lead some of the most significant developments within our Families First programme, including Family Hubs, Family Time, the Therapeutic Hub and Family Led Decision Making.
You will be an experienced social work leader who can build strong relationships, bring people together around a shared vision and drive meaningful change across a complex partnership landscape. You will be equally comfortable thinking strategically and working alongside services and partners to turn ambition into delivery.
As our Head of Service, you will:
- Be a qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration and a strong commitment to continuing professional development.
- Have a proven track record of leading and improving children's services, delivering high quality support and better outcomes for children and families.
- Bring significant experience of service transformation, change management and improvement within organisations.
- Be able to inspire, support and develop others, creating a positive culture where staff can thrive and deliver their very best work.
- Have a strong understanding of safeguarding, children's social care legislation and national policy developments.
- Demonstrate excellent partnership working skills and the ability to work collaboratively across education, health, police, voluntary and community sector organisations.
- Be confident in managing performance, resources and budgets while maintaining a focus on quality and impact.
- Champion equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-racist practice and ensure the voices of children, young people and families remain at the heart of service development.
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This is a unique and exciting opportunity to join an ambitious leadership team at a time of significant change and you will be a key driver in design and development of the Families First Reforms. If you are passionate about prevention, early intervention and working with partners to improve outcomes for children and families, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Please note that the successful candidate will be required to be office based at least 3 days per week.
For the full list of essential and desirable criteria for this role, please refer to the Person Specification within the Job Description attached.
Please upload your personal statement under the Relevant Experience and Skills section and ensure this clearly demonstrates how you meet the criteria set out in the Person Specification. This should be no more than two sides of A4.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tamsyn Basson, Deputy Director, Children's Social Care, at tamsyn.basson@bexley.gov.uk, or Shaeda Alam, Families First Transformation Lead, at shaeda.alam@bexley.gov.uk.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Bexley
Bexley is a vibrant and diverse outer London Borough nestled in the Thames Gateway between London and Kent which means it combines the perfect blend of city vibe and the tranquillity of Kent. It's got award-winning parks, open spaces, and heritage sites. The borough has excellent transport connections, including the Elizabeth Line and proximity to the M25. Bexley offers fantastic amenities such as libraries, leisure centres, and shopping areas. Our borough is also home to numerous primary and secondary schools, as well as further education institutions.
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Our Offer to you
We will offer you in return a package that includes a competitive salary, coaching and mentoring programmes, an excellent pension scheme and generous annual leave plus bank holidays. For more information on the benefits package on offer please refer to the Candidate Information document attached.
Recruitment Information
As a disability confident employer Bexley welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us on recruitment@bexley.gov.uk
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
This role may be available as a development opportunity through secondment for the Council’s existing employees. The Council’s Secondment Scheme can be found here. If this option is of interest, please contact the recruiting manager.
We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date.
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