As Head of Service – Permanence, you will take ownership of a high-profile service area focused on permanence planning, safeguarding oversight, service improvement, and strategic leadership within children’s social care services. You will work alongside senior leaders and partner agencies to shape outcomes for children and young people, leading high-performing teams through a period of continued improvement, innovation, and transformation.
In this role, you will lead the delivery of an ambitious Permanence Strategy and drive innovative approaches to permanence planning and reunification. You will provide strategic oversight of children in care, permanence services, and complex, high-risk cases, while strengthening performance management and quality assurance across statutory services. You will build strong partnerships across health, education, safeguarding, and wider community services, and lead operational managers to support workforce development while taking responsibility for budgets and resources.
The role calls for significant senior leadership experience within children’s social care, with a proven track record leading children in care and permanence services. You should have strong knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and relevant statutory frameworks, along with experience managing complex safeguarding arrangements, large teams, and service budgets. You will need the ability to influence senior stakeholders, deliver transformation, and improve outcomes, with a commitment to inclusive recruitment practices and supporting reasonable workplace adjustments.