At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and shape children's services, ensuring high-quality care and compliance across various settings.
- Company: Cheshire East, dedicated to building a humane and ambitious children's service.
- Benefits: 34 days annual leave, flexible working, green car scheme, and enhanced pension.
- Other info: Join a supportive workplace that values your contributions and offers excellent career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Qualified social worker with senior leadership experience in regulated services.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Together at Cheshire East we’re building something special, a children’s service that is ambitious, humane and built to last. To realise this ambition, we are seeking exceptional Heads of Service, Senior leaders who want to make a real, lasting difference and help shape the future.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Service – Caring for Children – Regulated Services, based at Delamere House, Crewe. This is where the quality of care becomes tangible — in the homes we run, the foster carers we support, the kinship arrangements we build, and the young people who call these places theirs.
About the Role
You’ll serve as the Responsible Individual across Cheshire East's in-house fostering, residential homes, supported accommodation, kinship and SGO services — holding personal accountability for regulatory compliance, inspection readiness and safeguarding excellence across every setting. With a large net budget, this is a role of significant scope, financial responsibility and strategic importance.
You'll lead Cheshire East's sufficiency strategy — developing a diverse range of local, high-quality placement options that reduce reliance on costly out-of-area provision and give children the chance to grow up near the people and places they know. You'll strengthen the kinship and SGO offer, roll out the National House Project, and drive the Mockingbird model in fostering — all underpinned by a whole-service commitment to restorative, therapeutic, relationship-based care.
In a Families First system, regulated services do not operate in isolation. You'll lean into locality working, support smooth transitions between teams, and ensure that the children in our care experience the same coherent, relational approach whether they are in a foster family, a residential home or supported accommodation. You'll build and sustain a skilled, stable, compassionate residential and fostering workforce because the quality of care depends entirely on the people delivering it.
- Responsible Individual - Personal accountability for all Ofsted-regulated services, outstanding practice, inspection readiness and statutory compliance.
- Sufficiency Strategy - Building local, diverse placement options, reducing drift and out-of-area placements through strategic investment and innovation.
- Kinship and SGO - Strengthening family networks and kinship pathways so more children can remain within their own communities.
- National House Project - Pioneering therapeutic residential models and bringing nationally proven programmes to life in Cheshire East.
The successful candidate will bring:
- Qualified social worker registered with Social Work England
- Senior leadership experience across regulated services — fostering, residential, supported accommodation
- Previous experience or strong knowledge of the Responsible Individual role
- Deep knowledge of fostering, residential and supported accommodation regulations
- Track record in sufficiency planning and workforce development
- Commitment to restorative, therapeutic, trauma-informed care
In return we are able to offer:
- Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
- Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
- Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work week with the added perks of flexi-time and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better
- Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’s no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
- White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
- Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
- Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
- Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
- Discounted gym membership - Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities, Off-Peak Racket Sports, Athletics Track, Sauna/Steam/Spa
Join us and experience a workplace that truly values and supports you!
Head of Service - Caring For Children in Crewe employer: Cheshire East
At Cheshire East, we are dedicated to creating a nurturing and impactful environment for our employees, particularly in the role of Head of Service - Caring For Children. With an impressive benefits package that includes enhanced annual leave, flexible working arrangements, and a commitment to professional development, we foster a culture of support and growth. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of children while enjoying a rewarding career in a collaborative and compassionate setting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Service - Caring For Children in Crewe
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the sector, attend events, and connect with others on LinkedIn. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Head of Service role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Cheshire East's values and recent initiatives. Show us how your experience aligns with our mission to provide exceptional care for children — we love candidates who are genuinely passionate about making a difference!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to articulate your vision for the role and how you plan to implement the sufficiency strategy. We want to hear your ideas on building local, high-quality placement options.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team at Cheshire East.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Service - Caring For Children in Crewe
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the specific requirements of the Head of Service role. Highlight your experience in regulated services and how it aligns with our mission at Cheshire East.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:We want to see your senior leadership experience shine through! Share examples of how you've successfully led teams in fostering or residential settings, and how you’ve made a positive impact on service delivery.
Demonstrate Your Commitment:Let us know about your dedication to restorative and therapeutic care. Share any relevant experiences that showcase your understanding of trauma-informed practices and how they can benefit the children we serve.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity to make a difference.
How to prepare for a job interview at Cheshire East
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the regulations and standards that govern fostering, residential care, and supported accommodation. Brush up on your knowledge of the Responsible Individual role and be ready to discuss how you would ensure compliance and excellence in these areas.
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples from your past experiences that highlight your senior leadership capabilities. Think about times when you've successfully led teams, managed budgets, or implemented strategic initiatives. Be ready to explain how you can build and sustain a skilled workforce in this role.
✨Emphasise Your Commitment to Care
This role is all about making a real difference in children's lives. Be prepared to talk about your commitment to restorative, therapeutic, and trauma-informed care. Share specific instances where you've applied these principles in your work and how they’ve positively impacted the children you’ve worked with.
✨Ask Thoughtful Questions
Interviews are a two-way street! Prepare some insightful questions about the organisation's vision for the future, the challenges they face, and how they measure success in their services. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if it's the right fit for you.
