Head of Fostering & Adoption Service in England

Hertfordshire County Council has a proud reputation for high‑quality services and a bold, forward‑looking approach. As we navigate sector reforms and prepare for future challenges and opportunities, we are seeking an exceptional Head of Fostering and Adoption to lead our adoption, fostering and kinship services and champion outstanding outcomes for children, young people, and families.

A collaborative, child‑centred leader, you will bring strong professional credibility and the confidence to make statutory decisions in high‑risk environments. You will provide strategic and operational leadership across fostering, adoption and regulated services, ensuring excellent practice, continuous improvement, and readiness for inspection. Managing over 100 staff and significant budgets, you will ensure robust planning, performance oversight, financial governance and value for money across all areas.

Working across health, education, voluntary and community sectors, you will build inclusive partnerships that reduce barriers, improve access to support, and deliver responsive, high‑quality services shaped by the voices of children, young people, and their families. You will drive service innovation, strengthen organisational resilience, maintain rigorous compliance with legislation and policy, and ensure workforce capability through effective development, planning and leadership.

This is a role for a values‑led leader who models integrity, inclusivity and purpose—someone who can balance strategic vision with operational delivery, empower multidisciplinary teams, and influence senior leaders and members with clear professional advice. If you are committed to delivering exceptional services and improving life chances for Hertfordshire’s children, we would welcome your application.

• Lead the adoption, fostering and kinship services with strategic and operational oversight.
• Ensure robust planning, performance monitoring, financial governance and value for money across all areas.
• Build and oversee partnerships across health, education, voluntary and community sectors to improve access to support and deliver high‑quality services informed by children’s, young people’s and families’ voices.
• Drive service innovation and maintain compliance with legislation and policy.

• Degree‑level education plus a recognised Social Work qualification with Social Work England registration, supported by evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Strong, in‑depth knowledge of children’s social care legislation, regulations, national policy frameworks, and government agendas, including best practice across safeguarding, fostering, and adoption.
• Understanding of both public and private law proceedings and awareness of wider sector developments.
• Substantial experience delivering high‑quality children’s services within a local authority setting, including care planning, achieving positive outcomes, and managing budgets.
• Proven experience of staff supervision/management, leading teams in complex and fast‑changing environments, and developing effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong track record of multi‑agency partnership working, including in political or strategic arenas, with experience of commissioning and collaborative service delivery.
• Demonstrated commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and achieving positive outcomes for children and families.
• Solid experience of budget forecasting, planning and management.

• Excellent oral and written communication, with the ability to analyse and interpret information, communicate vision, and represent the Council professionally across internal and external forums.
• Strong strategic thinking, risk assessment, workload planning, financial acumen, and ability to manage and interpret budgetary information.
• Ability to persuade, negotiate and influence within a political and multi‑agency environment.
• Skilled in advocating for children, challenging poor practice, managing conflicting priorities, and leading collaborative solutions.
• A resilient, values‑driven leader who can motivate and develop staff, foster inclusive practice, and drive continuous improvement.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the level job profile. Please locate this via: Organisational Leadership. If you wish to have an informal conversation about the role, email.

Interview Date: Monday 16th February 2026 - Face to Face (Farnham House, Stevenage)

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert/job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Disability Confident: We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding: This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving Required: You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency: The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.