Location: Dudley
Rate: £525 per day (Umbrella)
Contract: 7 Month Contract
Hours: Full Time
Working Pattern: Hybrid Working – 3 Days On Site
Pay: Bi-weekly
Dudley Council is in search of a seasoned and driven Principal Service Lead - Through Care to become a key member of the Children & Young People Leadership Team. This critical senior leadership position is tasked with enhancing the quality of services for Children in Care, Care Leavers, Fostering, Residential Care, Placements, Family Time, Children with Disabilities, and Emotional Wellbeing Services. The role involves providing strategic direction, spearheading service enhancements, fortifying safeguarding practices, and ensuring that children and young people receive exceptional support to achieve optimal outcomes.
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Offer strategic leadership across Through Care services.
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Oversee services for:
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Children in Care
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Care Experienced Young People
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Fostering Services
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Residential Care
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Placements
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Family Time Services
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Children with Disabilities
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Emotional Wellbeing Services
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Propel continuous service enhancement, quality assurance, and performance management.
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Ensure robust safeguarding practices and adherence to statutory requirements.
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Lead efforts in inspection readiness and improvement initiatives.
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Advocate for exemplary corporate parenting and amplify the voices of children and young people.
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Cultivate and lead high-performing multidisciplinary teams.
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Efficiently manage complex service delivery, budgets, and resources.
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Forge strong partnerships with Health, Education, Police, and other agencies.
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Deliver cost-effective solutions while maintaining high-quality outcomes for children and families.
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Contribute strategically as part of the Children & Young People Leadership Team.
Requirements:
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Qualified Social Worker.
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Current registration with Social Work England.
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Extensive senior leadership experience in Children's Social Care.
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Proven success in driving service improvements and achieving positive inspection results.
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Comprehensive experience in leading services for:
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Children in Care
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Care Leavers
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Fostering
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Residential Services
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Children with Disabilities
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In-depth knowledge of safeguarding legislation, children's social care practices, and statutory duties.
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Experience in leading large operational teams and managing complex service areas.
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Demonstrated experience in collaborating with multi-agency partnerships.
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Strong leadership, change management, and performance enhancement skills.
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Experience at the level of Assistant Director, Head of Service, or Principal Service Lead.
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Experience in supporting Ofsted improvement programs.
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Experience in managing transformation and redesign initiatives.
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Previous leadership experience within a Local Authority.
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£525 per day (Umbrella)
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7 Month Contract
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Location: Dudley
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Hybrid Working – 3 Days On Site
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Bi-weekly Pay
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A senior leadership role within a forward-thinking Children's Services department.
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An opportunity to influence strategic service delivery and improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
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Work within a prominent leadership team committed to continuous improvement in Through Care services.
Ideal candidates may have experience as a Principal Service Lead, Head of Service, Assistant Director, Service Manager, Through Care Lead, Children in Care Service Manager, Fostering Service Manager, or Senior Children's Social Care Leader.
