At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic initiatives to improve children's care placements and outcomes.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to enhancing children's social care in Stoke-on-Trent.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development opportunities, and a chance to make a real difference.
- Other info: Dynamic role with significant impact on community welfare and career advancement.
- Why this job: Be a key player in transforming children's lives and shaping the future of care services.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership experience in children's social care and strong market management skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 70000 £ per year.
About the role
We are recruiting an Interim Head of Sufficiency to provide senior strategic leadership and operational oversight of our placement sufficiency programme. The postholder will drive delivery of the Sufficiency Action Plan, strengthen cross-department alignment, and ensure sufficiency activity translates into improved outcomes for children and measurable financial impact.
What success looks like
- Clear line of sight from the Sufficiency Action Plan to governance, reporting, risks, decisions, and measurable impact.
- Reduced reliance on residential provision through stronger fostering sufficiency and sharper pathways to step-down, stability, and reunification where safe and appropriate.
- Stronger market management with consistent provider engagement, improved negotiation, and decisions grounded in needs and affordability.
- Forecasting and benefits tracking that supports real-time decision-making and drives delivery in line with our Valuing Care Approach.
About you
You will be a credible senior leader with a strong track record in children's social care sufficiency, placements, commissioning, market management, and performance oversight. The role reports to the Director for Corporate Parenting and Quality and provides senior leadership to the Sufficiency Core Group, supporting robust reporting and governance through the Sufficiency Board. Stoke-on-Trent has many areas of strong practice. However, the current level of demand and the number of children in care create acute challenges for placement capacity and cost. This role exists to maintain pace, bring grip to delivery, and improve how we match children to the right homes quickly and sustainably. A key requirement is to reduce reliance on residential children's homes by strengthening foster care sufficiency, working closely with our internal fostering service and external partners. The postholder will also lead our newly established Valuing Care approach, ensuring practice-led insights translate into step-down, reunification, placement stability, and faster home-finding.
What you will be responsible for
- Lead the coordinated delivery of the Sufficiency Action Plan, ensuring clear progress against milestones, clear ownership of workstreams, and active risk management.
- Strengthen alignment across fostering, residential services, commissioning, brokerage, social work teams, and strategic finance, ensuring a joined-up approach to demand pressures and placement decision pathways.
- Work with commissioning and brokerage on market shaping activity with independent fostering agencies, external residential providers, and supported accommodation services, ensuring provider engagement and negotiation is aligned to sufficiency priorities and financial modelling.
- Support the development and embedding of improved forecasting processes, opportunity tracking, demand projections, and benefits realisation, so that impact is visible, measurable, and acted on.
- Work closely with the Valuing Care lead and panel process so that practice-led insights identify and deliver step-down, reunification, and placement stability opportunities, and inform commissioning.
Head of Sufficiency (Childrens Social Care). Job in Stoke-on-trent LilyLifestyle Jobs employer: United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia
Eden Brown Synergy is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Stoke-on-Trent that prioritises the well-being and development of its employees. With a strong commitment to children's social care, the company fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and meaningful impact on the lives of children in care. Employees benefit from a supportive leadership team, comprehensive training programmes, and a focus on achieving measurable outcomes, making it a rewarding place to advance your career in social care.
Contact Details:
United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Sufficiency (Childrens Social Care). Job in Stoke-on-trent LilyLifestyle Jobs
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the children's social care sector, especially those involved in sufficiency and placements. Attend local events or webinars to make connections that could lead to job opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by understanding the Sufficiency Action Plan inside out. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around reducing reliance on residential care and improving fostering sufficiency.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! During interviews, share specific examples of how you've successfully managed teams and projects in children's social care. Highlight your ability to drive change and improve outcomes for children.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Sufficiency (Childrens Social Care). Job in Stoke-on-trent LilyLifestyle Jobs
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in children's social care sufficiency and placements. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a senior leader, it’s crucial to demonstrate your strategic leadership abilities. Use specific examples from your past roles where you’ve driven change or improved outcomes for children. We love seeing real-life impact!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make sure your key messages shine through. Remember, less is often more!
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 the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia
✨Know Your Sufficiency Action Plan
Make sure you’re well-versed in the Sufficiency Action Plan and its key milestones. Be ready to discuss how you would drive its delivery and what strategies you’d implement to ensure measurable impact for children.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
Prepare examples from your past roles that highlight your leadership skills in children's social care. Focus on how you've successfully managed teams, improved processes, or driven change in sufficiency and placements.
✨Understand Market Management
Brush up on your knowledge of market management and provider engagement. Be prepared to discuss how you would approach negotiations with independent fostering agencies and residential providers to align with sufficiency priorities.
✨Emphasise Data-Driven Decision Making
Highlight your experience with forecasting and benefits tracking. Discuss how you’ve used data to inform decisions and improve outcomes, ensuring you can demonstrate a clear understanding of how this aligns with the Valuing Care approach.
