Head Of Service, Front Door

Overview

Head of Service - Front Door (Children's Services) - 6 Month Contract. Location: Swindon. Rate: £600.00 per day (Umbrella). Hours: 37 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.
• 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.
• 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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