Head of Family Help Systems and Family Hubs

North Northamptonshire Council is seeking an experienced and dynamic leader for the role of Head of Family Help System & Family Hubs. This pivotal leadership position is responsible for the development, coordination, and continuous improvement of the Family Help system across North Northamptonshire. The postholder will lead the integration of Family Hubs, Family Help practice and multi‑agency early support pathways, ensuring a seamless, strengths‑based offer for children, young people and families from conception through to age 19 (or 25 for young people with SEND).

You will ensure that the local Family Help system is fully aligned with national Family Help reforms, the Families First Programme, the Children’s Social Care National Framework, and broader local and regional transformation plans. This includes embedding consistent delivery of ‘Right Support, Right Time, Right Person’ across all aspects of early support and Family Help practice. Family Hubs sit at the heart of the Family Help system, providing accessible, community‑based support that brings together education, health, mental health, public health and voluntary and community sector services. Start for Life remains a core priority, ensuring babies, children and parents receive the right support in the critical early years.

What will you be doing?

• Provide system‑wide leadership for the Family Help model across North Northamptonshire, ensuring clear pathways, shared practice standards and strong multi‑agency accountability.
• Lead the continued development and integration of Family Hubs, Start for Life and Family Help services, ensuring families experience a coherent and relational offer rather than fragmented services.
• Champion co‑production with children, young people and families, embedding lived experience into service design, delivery and evaluation.
• Ensure Family Help practice is strengths‑based, preventative, trauma‑informed and relational, with a strong focus on early identification and support.
• Work closely with Health, Education, Police, Public Health, the voluntary and community sector and Northamptonshire Children’s Trust to shape a unified approach to early support and family help.
• Represent North Northamptonshire Council as a senior system leader, influencing partners, shaping strategic direction and driving shared ownership of outcomes.
• Use data, insight and evidence to drive continuous improvement, ensuring the impact of Family Help is understood and improves outcomes for children and families.
• Provide strong leadership to teams, fostering a culture of learning, reflection and high‑quality practice.

About You

We are looking for a credible, collaborative and values‑driven leader with a strong track record of leading complex, multi‑agency systems and delivering transformational change.

You Will Bring

• Significant experience of system leadership across children’s services, early help, family support or related fields.
• A strong understanding of national Family Help reforms, early intervention, prevention and integrated service models.
• Proven experience of leading and influencing multi‑agency partnerships across statutory and voluntary sectors.
• A clear commitment to co‑production, relational practice and reducing inequalities for children and families.
• Experience of driving service improvement using data, performance intelligence and evaluation.
• Strong financial and people management skills, with the ability to lead through change and support staff development.
• Excellent communication, influencing and strategic thinking skills, with the confidence to operate at senior partnership level.

Our Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Pension scheme with significant contribution from the employer
• Opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• Generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements where practicable for service needs
• Employee Assistance Programme, Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, and support for active Employee Network Groups

Equality and Diversity

We are a Disability Confident Employer and are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. We welcome applications from disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. The council also obtained Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).