Head of Service – Front Door (Children's Services) – 6 Month Contract

Summary

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  
  
  
  • Lead and manage the Front Door Service.
    
  
  
  • Provide strategic and operational leadership across safeguarding functions.
    
  
  
  • Ensure effective and timely interventions for children and families.
    
  
  
  • Contribute to the Children's Services improvement programme.
    
  
  
  • Drive sustainable service improvement and practice excellence.
    
  
  

• Safeguarding & Child Protection
  
  
  
  • Lead Children in Need, Child Protection, Pre-Proceedings, Court Work, and Safeguarding Services.
    
  
  
  • Ensure child-focused, effective safeguarding practices compliant with statutory requirements.
    
  
  
  • Promote strong decision-making and effective risk management.
    
  
  
  • Maintain high standards of practice and professional accountability.
    
  
  

• Service Improvement
  
  
  
  • Lead service improvement initiatives and transformation programmes.
    
  
  
  • Use performance data and quality assurance findings to drive change.
    
  
  
  • Identify development areas and implement improvement plans.
    
  
  
  • Ensure continuous improvement in service delivery and outcomes.
    
  
  

• Practice Leadership
  
  
  
  • Champion restorative and relationship-based social work practice.
    
  
  
  • Promote excellent social work standards across teams.
    
  
  
  • Support managers and practitioners in delivering high-quality interventions.
    
  
  
  • Embed Family Safeguarding principles and systemic practice approaches.
    
  
  

• Performance Management
  
  
  
  • Monitor service performance and statutory compliance.
    
  
  
  • Ensure performance targets and service objectives are achieved.
    
  
  
  • Use management information to assess effectiveness and inform decision-making.
    
  
  
  • Address areas of underperformance and implement corrective actions.
    
  
  

• Court & Legal Services
  
  
  
  • Oversee court proceedings and pre-proceedings work.
    
  
  
  • Collaborate effectively with legal services and court representatives.
    
  
  
  • Ensure robust evidence-based decision-making.
    
  
  
  • Support managers and staff involved in legal processes.
    
  
  

• Partnership & Multi-Agency Working
  
  
  
  • Build effective relationships with Police, Health Services, Education Providers, Legal Services, and Safeguarding Partnerships.
    
  
  
  • Promote effective partnership working across agencies.
    
  
  
  • Strengthen safeguarding arrangements through collaborative working.
    
  
  

• Workforce Development
  
  
  
  • Lead, support, and develop managers and practitioners.
    
  
  
  • Promote a positive, supportive, and accountable culture.
    
  
  
  • Support workforce planning, learning, and development activities.
    
  
  
  • Encourage reflective supervision and continuous professional development.
    
  
  

• Qualifications
  
  
  
  • Essential: Degree in Social Work or equivalent recognised qualification; Current Social Work England registration.
    
  
  
  • Desirable: Leadership or management qualification; Post-qualifying social work awards; Management development or safeguarding leadership training.
    
  
  

• Knowledge
  
  
  
  • Extensive knowledge of Children Act 1989 and 2004, Working Together to Safeguard Children, Child Protection Procedures, Public Law Outline (PLO), Care Proceedings, Family Court Processes, and safeguarding legislation and guidance.
    
  
  
  • Understanding of Family Safeguarding and restorative practice models.
    
  
  
  • Knowledge of performance management and quality assurance frameworks.
    
  
  

• Experience
  
  
  
  • Essential: Significant senior management experience within Children's Social Care; Experience leading Front Door or Safeguarding Services; Experience overseeing Child Protection, Children in Need, Pre-Proceedings, and Court Work; Experience delivering service improvement and transformation programmes; Experience managing large multidisciplinary teams; Experience working with inspection frameworks and improvement plans; Experience working with courts, legal services, and safeguarding partners.
    
  
  
  • Desirable: Experience within a local authority improvement journey; Experience implementing Family Safeguarding models; Experience developing leadership and management capability across services.
    
  
  

• Skills & Competencies
  
  
  
  • Strong strategic leadership skills.
    
  
  
  • Excellent safeguarding knowledge and decision-making capability.
    
  
  
  • Outstanding communication and influencing skills.
    
  
  
  • Ability to lead change and drive improvement.
    
  
  
  • Strong analytical and performance management skills.
    
  
  
  • Ability to build effective partnerships.
    
  
  
  • Excellent people management and coaching skills.
    
  
  
  • Strong understanding of quality assurance and audit processes.
    
  
  
  • Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.
    
  
  

Additional Information

• This is a 6-month temporary contract.
  


• Rate: £600.00 per day (Umbrella).
  


• Location: Swindon.
  


• Pay is provided on a bi-weekly basis.
  


• Social Work England registration is essential.
  


• Previous senior leadership experience within Children's Safeguarding Services is essential.
  


• Experience leading Front Door Services, Child Protection, Court Work, and Children in Need services is essential.
  


• Local authority experience is essential.
  


• Opportunity to lead a critical service area at the centre of Children's Services improvement and transformation.