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- Tasks: Lead safeguarding and support services for children, ensuring timely assessments and interventions.
- Company: Join the London Borough of Hounslow, a diverse council dedicated to excellent resident services.
- Benefits: Enjoy a supportive work culture, opportunities for innovation, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on children's lives while working in a dynamic and inclusive environment.
- Qualifications: Must have a professional social work qualification and extensive experience in children's social care.
- Other info: Applications close on 3rd September 2025; interviews on 12th September 2025.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
About Us At Hounslow
We’d love you to join us at the London Borough of Hounslow! Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be.
We are an outstanding council, serving an outstanding borough. With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can-do culture, we’ve built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve one of London’s most diverse boroughs. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.
About Our Commitment To Diversity And Inclusion
We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. All our work has equality, diversity and inclusion at its very heart, best articulated in “Harness the Mix”. It\’s about breaking down barriers between our parts and people and unlocking the problem-solving power of our amazing mix of minds. We serve a diverse community, we have a diverse workforce and we are committed to being an inclusive employer.
We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, we have thriving employee network groups and our learning and development programmes help us lead, model and breathe ways of working that eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias.
As part of this and under our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. There’s space for you to tell us what you need within our application form.
Our Benefits
About The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the Children’s Safeguarding and Support Services Departmental Leadership Team, as Head of Safeguarding & Support. We require an experienced social work qualified professional to take forward the strategic and operational agenda for our teams responsible for safeguarding and permanency. You will oversee a service that is focussed on timely assessments and purposeful interventions, ensuring that permanence is achieved for children without delay. You will drive forward an agenda of keeping children within their family network where it is safe to do so, ensuring the service continues to evolve in line with national social care reforms.
About The Team You’ll Be Working In
The post is graded at HMG1 and will have operational and strategic responsibility for the following teams:
- Intake (child protection investigations and assessments)
- Safeguarding & Support X2 (child protection plans and care proceedings)
- Specialist Intensive Support Programme (multi-disciplinary team undertaking specialist parenting assessments and LAC prevention, including our GROW project working with parents to avoid repeated care proceedings, and FGCs)
- Adoption & Permanence Team (kinship assessments and permanence planning)
The postholder will be required to maintain the service but will also have an opportunity for innovation where it can be shown to support good outcomes for children.
In addition, the postholder will be required to take a leading role in service-related projects such as the delivery of aspects of national social care reforms.
About You
Successful candidates will have a professional social work qualification and will have extensive experience of working with a range of agencies and providing leadership and management within children’s social care. Good communication skills, both written and verbal, are an essential requirement for the role. They should be able to demonstrate excellent technical knowledge and experience of sound financial control.
If the points above resonate with you, we’d love you to put in an application via the London Borough of Hounslow website.
Read more about the work you’ll be doing in the Role Profile attached for your consideration.
When Interviews Will Be Held And Who To Contact
The key information you need about the role should be in the role profile, but if you have any further questions about the role, please email
Closing date for the submission of your application is Wednesday 3rd September 2025.
Interviews dates for this job will take place on Friday 12th September 2025.
When Interviews Will Be Held And Who To Contact
The key information you need about the role should be in the role profile, but if you have any further questions about the role, please email
Closing date for the submission of your application is Wednesday 3rd September 2025.
Interviews dates for this job will take place on Friday 12th September 2025. #J-18808-Ljbffr
Head of Operations -Child protection and safeguarding services. employer: London Borough of Hounslow
Contact Detail:
London Borough of Hounslow Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Operations -Child protection and safeguarding services.
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the core values of Hounslow, especially 'Harness the Mix'. During your interactions, whether in networking or interviews, highlight how your experiences align with these values and demonstrate your commitment to diversity and inclusion.
✨Tip Number 2
Research recent national social care reforms and be prepared to discuss how they impact safeguarding practices. Showing that you are up-to-date with current trends will demonstrate your proactive approach and readiness to lead in this area.
✨Tip Number 3
Connect with current or former employees of the Children’s Safeguarding and Support Services Department. They can provide insights into the team dynamics and expectations, which can help you tailor your approach during the interview process.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare specific examples from your past experience that showcase your leadership in children's social care. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully managed teams and implemented effective strategies for safeguarding and support.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Operations -Child protection and safeguarding services.
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Thoroughly read the job description for the Head of Operations position. Pay attention to the specific responsibilities and required qualifications, ensuring you understand what the role entails.
Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV to highlight relevant experience in social work and leadership within children's social care. Use keywords from the job description to demonstrate your suitability for the role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that reflects your passion for child protection and safeguarding services. Include examples of your previous work that align with the values and goals of the London Borough of Hounslow.
Highlight Your Commitment to Diversity: In your application, emphasise your understanding and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Share any experiences or initiatives you've been involved in that support these values, as they are central to the council's mission.
How to prepare for a job interview at London Borough of Hounslow
✨Understand the Core Values
Familiarise yourself with Hounslow's core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix, and Be a Rock. Be prepared to discuss how your experiences align with these values and how you can contribute to fostering an inclusive environment.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
As the Head of Operations, you'll need to demonstrate your leadership skills. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams in children's social care, focusing on strategic initiatives and operational improvements that have positively impacted service delivery.
✨Highlight Your Communication Skills
Effective communication is crucial for this role. Be ready to provide examples of how you've communicated complex information clearly to various stakeholders, including team members, external agencies, and families. This will showcase your ability to lead and manage effectively.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving abilities in safeguarding situations. Think about past experiences where you've had to make tough decisions or implement changes in response to national social care reforms, and be ready to discuss the outcomes.
