Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead transformative projects to improve services for children and families.
- Company: Dynamic local authority focused on social care and community support.
- Benefits: Flexible working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading transformation in public sector and strong stakeholder engagement skills.
- Other info: Join a collaborative team dedicated to positive change and community impact.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
Job Purpose
To lead and deliver complex transformation and service improvement programmes across Children’s Services, Social Care, Housing and Family Support, ensuring services are safe, legal, sustainable and outcome-focused. The role is responsible for translating national policy, inspection requirements and local priorities into practical, embedded improvements in service delivery, governance, performance and partnership working, with a strong focus on children, families and vulnerable people.
Key Responsibilities
- Programme & Project Leadership
- Lead the design, planning and delivery of large-scale transformation and improvement programmes within children’s services, social care and related statutory services.
- Manage a portfolio of projects across short-, medium- and long-term timeframes, ensuring delivery against agreed milestones, outcomes and benefits.
- Establish and maintain robust programme governance, reporting and assurance arrangements, providing clear updates to senior leaders, boards and elected members.
- Identify, manage and mitigate programme risks, dependencies and issues, ensuring continuity of critical statutory services.
- Service Improvement & Change
- Lead service reviews, option appraisals and redesign activity to improve quality, performance, efficiency and outcomes for children and families.
- Embed new ways of working into frontline services, ensuring changes are sustainable and aligned with statutory duties and best practice.
- Support services through organisational change, including restructuring, workforce transition and cultural change.
- Drive continuous improvement using data, insight and evidence to inform decision-making and prioritisation.
- Children’s Services & Social Care Expertise
- Work closely with Children’s Services, Adult Social Care, Housing and Early Help teams to ensure services operate in a safe, legal and compliant way.
- Support improvement activity linked to inspection readiness, safeguarding assurance and statutory compliance.
- Contribute to system-wide reform activity affecting children, families and vulnerable adults, including Local Government Review and service integration.
- Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners including health, education, voluntary sector, regional bodies and central government.
- Represent the organisation at local, regional and national forums, contributing to shared learning and best practice.
- Lead engagement with senior stakeholders, practitioners and service users to ensure transformation activity reflects lived experience and operational reality.
- Operate effectively within politically sensitive environments, supporting members and senior leaders with clear advice and evidence.
- Systems, Data & Governance
- Where required, lead or support the transformation of systems and processes to enable effective service delivery, data quality and information sharing.
- Ensure services meet data protection, information governance and regulatory requirements.
- Develop and track benefits realisation plans to demonstrate the impact of transformation activity.
- People & Resource Management
- Provide leadership, line management and professional support to programme and project staff.
- Manage budgets, commissioned activity and external suppliers in line with organisational policies and best value principles.
- Support workforce development, capability building and knowledge sharing across services.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- Essential
- Significant experience leading transformation or improvement programmes within local government or complex public sector environments.
- Strong understanding of children’s services, social care and statutory service delivery.
- Proven ability to deliver change in politically sensitive and high-risk environments.
- Experience establishing and operating programme governance, risk management and benefits realisation.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at senior and practitioner levels.
- Strong analytical, reporting and communication skills.
- Desirable
- Experience working across children’s services, SEND, early help, housing or safeguarding systems.
- Experience supporting or delivering change linked to inspection frameworks or national reform programmes.
- PRINCE2, Programme Management or equivalent qualification.
- Experience of Local Government Review, structural reform or system integration.
- Knowledge of partnership and commissioning arrangements in children’s services.
Values & Behaviours
- Commitment to improving outcomes for children, families and vulnerable people.
- Collaborative, solution-focused and resilient approach to change.
- Strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Operates with integrity, accountability and professionalism.
SEND Project Lead – AR in Ipswich employer: Carrington Blake Recruitment
Contact Detail:
Carrington Blake Recruitment Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land SEND Project Lead – AR in Ipswich
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your field, attend events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation and understanding their values. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their mission, especially in areas like children’s services and social care.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors to build confidence. Focus on articulating your leadership skills and experience in managing transformation programmes effectively.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace SEND Project Lead – AR in Ipswich
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your experience aligns with the key responsibilities of the SEND Project Lead role. We want to see how you can lead transformation and service improvement programmes effectively!
Showcase Your Expertise: Don’t hold back on showcasing your knowledge in children’s services and social care. We’re looking for someone who understands the complexities of these areas, so share relevant experiences that demonstrate your expertise.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured applications that make it easy for us to see your qualifications and fit for the role. Avoid jargon unless it’s necessary!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Carrington Blake Recruitment
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the key responsibilities outlined in the job description. Brush up on your knowledge of children’s services, social care, and transformation programmes. Being able to discuss specific examples of how you've led similar projects will show that you’re the right fit.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare to talk about your experience in leading teams and managing complex projects. Think of instances where you’ve successfully navigated politically sensitive environments or implemented change. Highlight your ability to engage stakeholders and drive service improvements.
✨Be Data-Savvy
Since the role involves using data to inform decision-making, be ready to discuss how you’ve used data and insights in past roles. Bring examples of how you’ve tracked benefits realisation or improved service delivery through data analysis.
✨Engage with Real-Life Scenarios
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills. Prepare to discuss how you would handle specific challenges related to children’s services or social care. This is your chance to demonstrate your understanding of the operational realities and lived experiences of service users.
