At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and transform services for children in care, fostering, and adoption.
- Company: Staffordshire County Council, committed to community and child welfare.
- Benefits: Supportive work environment, career growth, and a healthy work-life balance.
- Other info: Join a values-driven team focused on positive outcomes for children.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of children and families.
- Qualifications: Degree, registered Social Worker, and substantial management experience required.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
Our Children and Families services and our vision here in Staffordshire is rooted in four core principles that underpin everything we do:
- Families first – network and community always
- Right help, right time – proportionate, timely and co-produced with children and families
- Whole-system responsibility for supporting children and families to be happy, healthy and safe
- Permanence as belonging from day one
To achieve our ambition, we have taken a bold decision to transform our service structure and we’re looking for talented, values-driven leaders who can champion these principles, inspire others and help shape the future of Children and Families services in Staffordshire. We want to create a more resilient, child-centred and future-focused system that enables children, young people and families to receive the right help at the right time. Through this redesign, we are strengthening leadership, increasing capacity and creating clearer lines of accountability across our services. These changes will support high-quality practice, stronger partnerships and better outcomes for children and families, while ensuring we are well positioned to respond to national reforms and future challenges.
Main Responsibilities
As Head of Service, you will provide strategic leadership across Children in Care, Care Leavers, Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC), Fostering and Adoption services. You will ensure children and young people receive high-quality, safe and child-centred support, driving improvement, permanence, placement sufficiency and positive outcomes while fulfilling the council’s responsibilities as a corporate parent. You will:
- Lead the strategic and operational delivery of Children in Care, Care Leavers, Fostering, Kinship, Adoption and UASC services, ensuring high-quality, compliant and outcome-focused practice.
- Drive service improvement, transformation and sufficiency planning to ensure children and young people have access to stable, appropriate placements and lifelong support networks.
- Provide strategic leadership for fostering, kinship and adoption services, including recruitment, retention, support and development of carers and adopters.
- Build strong partnerships across Staffordshire County Council, health, education, housing, commissioning, Together4Children and other agencies to improve outcomes for children and care leavers.
- Lead performance management, quality assurance and compliance activity, ensuring learning from audits, inspections, complaints and feedback drives continuous improvement.
- Oversee substantial budgets, resources and transformation programmes while ensuring services remain sustainable, effective and focused on achieving the best outcomes for children and young people.
The Ideal Candidate
You will have:
- Degree or equivalent-level qualification.
- Qualified and registered Social Worker.
- Relevant professional or management qualification, or substantial management training and development.
- Substantial post-qualification experience within children's social care, including senior leadership and management responsibilities.
- Significant experience managing and developing teams, with a strong understanding of people management and employment practices.
- Proven experience leading high-performing services and driving service improvement.
- Experience managing investigations, complaints and complex service issues.
The assessment process
Throughout the recruitment process, you will be assessed against the three key competency areas:
- Children & Families Core Principles
- Leadership
- Technical and Role-Specific Competencies
The process will take the form of in person interview which will include a role specific exercise an element involving our Children and Young People and a Foster Carer (to be confirmed on interview invitation). Interviews date to be confirmed.
Don’t feel you meet all the requirements? We value transferable skills, experiences, and qualifications so consider applying anyway or for an informal chat about the role.
Our Recruitment Process
We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you’ll bring to the role. Please note: The minimum criteria in the ideal candidate section detailed above will be used if you are applying under one of our Interview Guarantee Schemes.
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council: Our Values: The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively. Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy: We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future. We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our benefits: We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities. As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post. As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.
Head of Service: Children in Care, Care Leavers, Fostering and Adoption employer: We Manage Jobs(WMJobs)
Walsall Council is an exceptional employer for Social Workers, offering a supportive environment that prioritises manageable workloads and professional development. With a recent 'Outstanding' OFSTED rating, employees benefit from flexible working arrangements, specialised clinical supervision, and a commitment to anti-discrimination and equality, ensuring a fulfilling career dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children and young people.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Service: Children in Care, Care Leavers, Fostering and Adoption
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at We Manage Jobs(WMJobs).
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from We Manage Jobs(WMJobs)!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like We Manage Jobs(WMJobs), will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at We Manage Jobs(WMJobs) or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Service: Children in Care, Care Leavers, Fostering and Adoption
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to We Manage Jobs(WMJobs):Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to We Manage Jobs(WMJobs)! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at We Manage Jobs(WMJobs)
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
