Head of Service - Family Help

This role is subject to a retention bonus of £3,000, paid in two instalments of £1,500 in June and £1,500 in December.

About the role

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work. We are a highly ambitious borough, driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, developing new and innovative ways to build our communities.

We are seeking an ambitious and collaborative Head of Service to lead the development and delivery of our new way of working in Family Help. You will provide strategic and operational leadership to multidisciplinary teams, embedding an earlier, relationship-based and whole-family approach that delivers the right support at the right time, reduces the need for statutory intervention, and improves outcomes for children and families.

Working closely with partners, practitioners, and communities, you will drive integrated practice, using relational and systemic approaches to strengthen decision-making and accountability, and ensure that children's and families' voices shape service design and delivery. This is an opportunity to lead significant change, build a confident and skilled workforce, and establish a high-quality, inclusive and evidence-informed Family Help offer. Key responsibilities include:

• Developing Family Help practice across the borough
• Building and maintaining multi-agency relationships
• Leading several multidisciplinary Family Help teams within a specific locality
• Holding supervisory responsibility for up to six direct reports
• Driving integrated, relational and systemic practice to strengthen decision-making and accountability

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is looking for an experienced and driven leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and families. We welcome applications from candidates who bring strategic vision, collaborative working, and a commitment to inclusive, evidence-informed practice.

The ideal candidate will:

• Hold a recognised social work qualification
• Be registered with Social Work England
• Have demonstrable experience of providing strategic and operational leadership within children's services
• Have experience of leading or developing Family Help, early help, or related multidisciplinary services
• Be able to build and sustain effective multi-agency partnerships
• Demonstrate a commitment to relational and systemic approaches to practice
• Show a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in service delivery and workforce development

Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both service delivery and the employment of its staff. The Council is committed to equal opportunities and opposes all forms of discrimination. This role is subject to satisfactory employment references, a CIFAS identity check, a declaration of interest, and safer recruitment practices as it involves work with children and/or vulnerable adults. A satisfactory DBS check and continued professional body registration are also required.

About Waltham Forest

We know what social work is WORTH! Make the difference to the lives of children and families in Waltham Forest!

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, our borough is a fantastic place where people want to live, work and play.

Why join us at Waltham Forest?

9 out of 10 staff in our social care teams enjoy our strong learning culture, which focuses on new and emerging trends

We invest in your development to help you find your niche, specialising in areas underpinned by a clear strengths-based approach

Inspiring leadership and ambition rated Outstanding

Diverse and inclusive teams who improve lives and make a real difference – a safe and inclusive environment, with active employee-led networks and initiatives

What our staff say

As a borough which celebrates diversity and inclusivity, we believe that it is important for you to hear from a cross-section of staff working within Waltham Forest. Watch a selection of our staff case studies below.

A rewarding role in an Ofsted rated GOOD children’s services department

Stable leadership rated by Ofsted as OUTSTANDING

Strong Continuing Professional Development (CPD) offer including Virtual Reality (VR) training

• Competitive salaries and retention bonuses
• A range of health & Wellbeing initiatives and vibrant staff-led networks such as our Race Equality Network
• Flexible working options
• Manageable caseloads
• Travel season ticket loan, cycle scheme, Local Authority pension