Job Introduction
About Us
Empowering change for children, young people and families.
We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Children and Families Centre Manager to join our Family Help service at Oxfordshire County Council. This is an exciting opportunity to lead high-quality practice, support skilled practitioners and managers, and help shape services that make a lasting difference for children, young people and families across Oxfordshire.
Together, we are shaping children’s services for the future. In our Children, Education & Families directorate, we are committed to delivering lasting change by helping children, young people and families to thrive. Our practice is grounded in building relationships, empowering families and building on strengths, reflected in our restorative and relational approach. We have been consistently rated as good by Ofsted and remain ambitious to do even better for Oxfordshire’s children.
Oxfordshire County Council is a financially stable local authority that is committed to investing in children’s services, professional development and service transformation. This is a chance to join a forward-thinking organisation where innovation is welcomed, relationships matter, and leaders are supported to make a real impact.
About the Role
As a Children and Family Centre Manager within Family Help, you will provide strategic and operational leadership that supports children, young people and families at the earliest opportunity. You will oversee service delivery, performance, quality assurance and practice development, ensuring that children receive the right help at the right time and that services are responsive, effective and rooted in strong partnership working.
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Lead and manage Family Help services to ensure high-quality, timely and effective support to children, young people and families.
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Provide strong leadership, creating a culture of reflective supervision, continuous learning and high support alongside high challenge.
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Drive service improvement, quality assurance and performance management, ensuring practice is child-centred, strengths-based and outcome-focused.
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Work collaboratively with internal and external partners to promote integrated working and achieve the best possible outcomes for children and families.
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Ensure statutory responsibilities, safeguarding duties, policies and procedures are understood and consistently applied.
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Contribute to service development, transformation activity and strategic planning across the wider Children, Education & Families directorate.
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Support the development of a positive and inclusive team culture where innovation, accountability and professional curiosity are valued.
About you
You will be an experienced leader in children’s services with a strong understanding of safeguarding, early help and family support. You will bring credibility, emotional intelligence and a clear commitment to improving outcomes for children and families through strong relationships, purposeful leadership and evidence-informed practice.
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Substantial leadership experience within children’s social care, early help or family support services.
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A strong track record of leading practice improvement, managing performance and delivering high-quality services.
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Excellent understanding of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and the needs of children, young people and families.
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Experience of leading teams through change while maintaining a clear focus on quality, consistency and outcomes.
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Strong partnership working skills and the ability to influence across agencies and services.
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A commitment to restorative, relational and strengths-based practice.
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A relevant professional qualification in social work, youth work, early help, education, health or a related field.
Rewards and benefits
We offer a rewarding career in a supportive and ambitious organisation, with a strong focus on professional development, flexible working and employee wellbeing. Benefits include generous annual leave, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, family-friendly policies, access to health and wellbeing support, and a broad range of staff discounts and development opportunities.
If you are passionate about making a difference and want to lead a service that helps children, young people and families thrive, we would love to hear from you.
Your office base may be subject to change as we are currently transitioning between temporary and permanent office locations due to the closure of County Hall. If this is applicable to you, you will be notified, but no reimbursement will apply in respect of travel.
Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.
Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.
Our commitment to:
Safeguarding
Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.
Our commitment to:
Flexible Working
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.
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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact: [email protected]
