Panoramic Associates
Strategic Programme Manager - Children, Young People & Community Development
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Strategic Programme Manager - Children, Young People & Community Development
Strategic Programme Manager (Transformation)
Children, Young People & Community Development - London Borough of Brent Recruiting in partnership with Panoramic Associates
Contract & Details
- Fixed-term to March 2029 (approx. 2.5 years)
- Full-time
- Location: Brent Civic Centre, Wembley (hybrid working)
- Start: September 2026
About the Role
The London Borough of Brent is launching a transformational agenda across children’s services, spanning Early Help, SEND and inclusion, early years, and employment and skills. This role offers the unique opportunity to shape a programme from the ground up—not inherit something pre-developed—by connecting, scoping, and refining four key priorities while driving test-and-learn pilots.
Key Priorities You’ll Lead
- Families First Partnership Programme: Transforming Early Help with multidisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice.
- Making Brent an Inclusive Borough: Reforming SEND and inclusion, standardising EHCPs, and fostering multi-agency partnerships.
- Best Start in Life: Implementing the government’s Best Start agenda and Family Hubs, targeting the most deprived communities.
- Employment & Skills: Supporting young people and families in upskilling and job access.
Additionally, you’ll test and iterate:
- Flexible working models (beyond traditional 9-5 constraints)
- Area-based service delivery models
All work must align to cross-cutting themes: ✔ Early intervention and prevention ✔ Multi-agency working ✔ Using data and evidence effectively ✔ Future workforce development ✔ Co-production ✔ Digital and technology integration
Your objective is to join the dots—overseeing governance, planning, and stakeholder relationships to turn these interdependent yet parallel workstreams into a coherent, well-managed programme, while embedding it into neighbourhood-focused resident offerings.
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You will also build and develop a small programme team as the organisational structure evolves.
What You’ll Do
- Establish foundational programme processes, including governance, planning, risk management, and reporting.
- Actively simplify interdependencies between workstreams, leveraging commonalities to drive efficiency.
- Own benefits realisation (financial and non-financial) to track and evidence impact.
- Translate national reform and corporate strategy into clear, trackable milestones.
- Build and sustain relationships with internal teams, partners, and stakeholders—corroborating existing work, not disrupting it.
- Represent CYPCD priorities within the corporate transformation programme, applying systems-level thinking back to the directorate.
- Lead, develop, and grow a small team of programme professionals.
About You
This is not a role for someone expecting a pre-packaged programme. It’s for a strategic, hands-on thinker who thrives in uncertainty, can shape ambiguous steps into actionable plans, and galvanises a team behind bold change.
Essential Criteria
✅ Proven strategic programme management expertise, including:
- Governance frameworks
- Risk management
- Managing interdependencies
- Benefits realisation
✅ Experience scoping and shaping complex change from a foundation-level rather than inheriting a complete structure.
✅ Track record in managing multi-agency cross-stakeholder relationships across complex landscapes.
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✅ Ability to distil national reform and policy requirements into concrete actionable plans and milestones.
✅ Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with the credibility to align effectively with subject-matter experts.
✅ A systems-thinking, cross-cutting mindset, characterised by curiosity, agility, and rapid upskilling across unfamiliar areas.
✅ Capacity to lead a small team, fostering development and collaboration.
Desirable (Bonus) Qualities
- Local authority exposure
- Experience in early intervention/prevention programmes (a core operational thread)
- Familiarity with one or more of: • Children’s social care • SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) • Early years education • Education systems
- Awareness of key government agendas, including: • Families First • Best Start in Life (Family Hubs) • SEND and inclusion reform
Why Join London Borough of Brent
This isn’t just about managing a transformation—it’s about building something lasting. The CYPCD directorate is committed to innovation, backed by leadership mandates and an appetite to create new, high-impact services across Brent—** crafting a legacy that reshapes children’s and families’ experience for years**.
How to Apply
This position is managed exclusively by Panoramic Associates for the London Borough of Brent. To learn more or apply, reach out to Panoramic Associates’ transformation team for a confidential, exploratory discussion.
The Borough of Brent remains dedicated to: 🔹 Safeguarding children 🔹 Promoting equality of opportunity 🔹 Welcoming applications from "all sections of the community"
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