Head of Service – Early Help & Vulnerable Young People

Are you passionate about delivering excellent services to Children and Young People and want to be part of an organisation that is committed to making improvements to the way it supports children and families?

This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council as we embark on a journey of improvement, innovation and positive change.

We are committed to being ambitious in the way that we will work with children, young people, their families and carers in a restorative way. We are focussing on protecting children and young people and keeping them safe, whilst developing our early help services to ensure that we provide children and families with the support they need at the right time.

We are transforming our service delivery, and we have committed a considerable investment in expanding our permanent and skilled workforce.

You will have a proven track record within front door children’s services including Early Help, and Youth Justice, Exploitation/ Missing and Family Hubs. We are looking for an individual who can provide inspirational, inclusive and engaging leadership in the strategic and operational delivery of our Early Help offer and partnership working as well as ensuring implementation of practice standards across all service areas.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including up to 30 days annual leave, flexible working, high street discount offers, up to £6k relocation allowance, and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.

For effective and collaborative partnership working and developing a robust Early Help offer in the community, being office based is vital to embed positive relationships from the outset. This is complimented by our hybrid working model for all of our workforce, to ensure that everyone works in line with service needs, whilst still delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

About you

You will be a dynamic, forward thinking strategic senior manager, with a key understanding and extensive experience in leading the fast pace working environment of Early Help, Initial Response and Youth Justice/ Exploitation/ Missing statutory services. You will have experience in the development and delivery of Early Help services. You will be confident and able to demonstrate your leadership and management skills, whilst driving forward good social work practice delivery, as well as implement continued improvements and positive changes.

You will need to be a strong inclusive leader, who is able to influence, build and maintain strong internal and external relationships to ensure consistency, effective communication and working together.

You’ll be incredibly passionate about the challenges and ambitious in consistently safeguarding children, young people in Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

If you have what it takes to deliver a demanding, change-driven, high-profile role where you have the scope to help shape the future for children and young people, we’d love to hear from you.

For further information please contact:

Iona Payne, Assistant Director - Iona.Payne@Solihull.gov.uk

or

Rachael Ward, Assistant Director - rachael.ward@solihull.gov.uk

Closing Date – 1st May 2024

Interviews will be held on 23rd May 2024

Candidates will be required to complete online Psychometric assessments prior to the interview as part of the recruitment process.

This post will require an enhanced DBS check.

This is an essential car user post as the demands of the job make it operationally essential and there is a contractual requirement to make a suitable vehicle available to ensure the requirements of the job can be carried out effectively.

Applicants must be able to drive, have a driving licence and be a car owner, however for disabled applicants, reasonable adjustments will be made where required.

This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

Solihull Council is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.

Solihull Council has a responsibility for, and a commitment to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.