Reporting to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, you will be part of an experienced senior leadership team, leading and managing operational teams to support children and their families, including children experiencing risk outside of their homes and in contact with the youth justice system. You will create the right culture and environment for the workforce to flourish, and ensure strategic plans enable the best operational delivery of the services our families need.
Our relational practice approach places an emphasis on the importance of investing in relationships, and working “with” families, rather than “doing for” or “doing to”, keeping children and young people at the heart of everything they do. This emphasises that families are part of the solution.
We are committed to delivering our ambitious programme for transforming and improving the aspirations and opportunities for the residents of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. As the Deputy Director Quality and Practice, you will help deliver the council’s ambitions to tackle inequalities that impact individuals and communities throughout our city, and support family life through leading and implementing change programmes that improve service quality and performance standards.
You will lead service improvement activity and support sustained organisational and cultural change, putting children at the heart of all we do. You will work collaboratively to lead and embed a practice focused culture to deliver high-quality outcomes for our most vulnerable children and young people.
To succeed in this role, you will shape the most effective service delivery model for the division, providing an excellent experience, driving high performance and supporting the council’s commercial ambitions. You will champion child-centred, strengths-based and restorative practice, ensuring children’s safety and their social and emotional needs remain central to every decision. You will also lead inspection readiness, self-assessment and improvement planning so services can clearly demonstrate progress and impact. By listening to children and young people, you will ensure their views inform transformation and remain at the heart of strategic decision-making.
We are open to all backgrounds and specialisms, but it is essential that you are experienced in services for children in care. As a senior officer, you will provide confident, visible, strategic and values-led leadership. You will demonstrate effective political awareness with the aptitude to promote a culture of close collaboration and working strategically. You will be an ambassador for the council, promoting our image as a city, supporting the formation of strategic alliances and developing effective working relationships on a local, regional and national basis, including the local voluntary and community sector, social enterprises, the private sector.
Are you up for the challenge?
Directorate: Children and Families
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
Salary: £101,978 - £107,137
Reference: Deputy Director Quality and Practice
About the Role
Indicative Timetable
Closing date for applications: Friday 2nd October
Preliminary/Technical Interviews: w/c TBC
Final Stakeholder and Panel Interviews: TBC
Contact
If you are keen to explore how you could make a difference, we encourage you to speak to our partners at GatenbySanderson, Philip Emms (07590 225472) or Becky Downs (07831 116336)
