Civic Recruitment Limited
Head of Service, Front Door
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Head of Service – Front Door (Children's Services) – 6 Month Contract
Location: Swindon
Rate: £600.00 per day (Umbrella)
Hours: 37 Hours per Week
Contract: Temporary (6 Months)
Pay: Bi-weekly
Summary
This role is a 6-month contract position responsible for leading the Front Door Service within Children's Services. The Head of Service will ensure the delivery of high-quality safeguarding services for children, young people, and families. The role involves providing strategic and operational leadership across various functions, including Children in Need, Child Protection, Pre-Proceedings, and Court Work. The postholder will play a crucial role in driving service improvement, enhancing safeguarding practices, and embedding a culture of restorative, relationship-based social work.
Responsibilities
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 Children's Services improvement programme.
- Drive sustainable service improvement and practice excellence.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Requirements
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
- 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.
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Experience
Essential:
- Significant senior management experience within Children's 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
- 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.
- Pay is provided on a bi-weekly basis.
- Social Work England registration is essential.
- Previous senior leadership experience within Children's 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 Children's Services improvement and transformation.
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