Harrow Council
Head of Service - Family Help - Adolescent Practice Lead
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Overview
Join Harrow Children’s Services - Head of Service - Family Help - Adolescent Practice Lead
Be part of an ambitious Children’s Social Care service improving outcomes for children and families
The London Borough of Harrow is entering an exciting period as we deliver an ambitious programme of Children’s Services reform, including Families First, Best Start Family Hubs, Best Start in Life and SEND reforms. Our ambition is clear: to help every child thrive by reshaping support for children, young people and families across the borough.
Through the Families First Programme, we are developing a practice system where relationships are central, families are supported to make decisions about their own lives, and multi-disciplinary help is offered at the earliest opportunity.
As one of our two Heads of Service in Family Help you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping, coordinating and continuously improving Harrow’s Family Help system at a key point in its development with leadership in the area of adolescent & youth offer including Harrow’s Youth Justice Service.
You will lead Harrow’s Family Help Teams including the Youth Justice Service to deliver timely, effective and proportionate support, improving outcomes and life chances for children and families, particularly those who are most vulnerable.
You will ensure the local Family Help system is aligned with Harrow’s wider Children’s Reforms Programmes and the Children’s Social Care National Framework. As we develop specialist areas of practice, you will help shape these emerging services and ensure integration with partners and lead the continued evolution of our work with children and families.
We are looking for a creative, ambitious leader who is passionate about improving children’s lives and experience in relevant areas of practice. You will be energised by the opportunity to lead a developing service, influence practice across the system and contribute to national learning on the future of children’s social care.
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What makes this role special?
- Providing high-quality leadership of our Family Help Teams to ensure the very highest professional practice delivering an integrated approach leading on help for adolescents and their families.
- Be the lead to create and maintain multi-agency working and developing collaborative relationships with partners to ensure that children and young people are supported and safeguarded.
- Responsible for ensuring that children's assessments and plans have clear priorities, are of good quality and focus on the child's needs.
- Drive forward the key priorities and values of the service by working in collaboration with the wider Children’s Services Leadership Team.
- Champion strengths-based, relationship-based and family-led practice, with a clear focus on early intervention, prevention and sustainable outcomes.
- Use performance insight, audit, quality assurance and professional curiosity to drive continuous improvement and support confident decision-making.
- Work collaboratively with senior leaders and partners to strengthen safeguarding responses, manage risk well and promote inclusive, culturally competent practice.
About You
We are looking for a strategic and resilient leader with a strong background in children’s social care and safeguarding. You will bring credibility, sound judgement and the ability to lead in a complex, fast-paced environment where partnership working, risk management and high-quality practice are essential.
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You will be confident in providing both support and challenge, developing managers and practitioners, and creating the conditions for reflective, evidence-informed and child-centred practice. You will also be able to translate strategy into delivery, using data and intelligence to improve services, manage demand and demonstrate impact for children and families.
Your experience will include:
- A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
- Substantial experience in children’s services, including leadership of child in need, safeguarding, adolescent services & youth justice practice.
- Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, thresholds, information-sharing and multi-agency decision-making.
- A proven ability to lead service improvement, strengthen practice quality and use performance information to evaluate impact.
- Experience of managing people, budgets and resources effectively within a complex service environment.
- Excellent communication and partnership skills, with the ability to engage confidently with staff, senior leaders, elected members, schools, partners and communities.
- A strong commitment to equality, anti-racist & culturally competent practice, professional curiosity and improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
Closing date: 20 September 2026
Interviews: 8 - 9 October 2026
For further information about these roles please contact roisin.madden@harrow.gov.uk
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