Head of Service - Early Help & Children's Service - East of England

Job Description

Social Work First are recruiting for:East of EnglandInterim Head of Service - Early Help & Childrens Social Care£525 - £650 a day The role will be responsible for establishing and leading the delivery of services to Children and Families across Cambridgeshire& Peterborough. This will be achieved by adopting a highly collaborative approach that ensures internal and external resources work together to identify and deliver a range of services to appropriately meet the needs of the community. To provide expertiseto ensure good practice is identified and shared and that there is consistency where appropriate. To provide specialist advice internally and externally and provide authoritative advice and guidance about the area. This role is also responsible for the managementand oversight of high quality interventions, ensuring that children and families are at the centre of everything we do whilst also supporting the development of integrated services for young people. Manage and ensure that all services are planned and deliveredin a cost-effective, integrated way that meets policy and quality requirements.Leadership and Management Providing leadership and advice to the Service Managers using technical expertise and informed judgement to deliver successful outcomes. Lead a servicefunction to fulfil the Councils statutory obligations and deliver quality services and be responsible for the quality of the services delivered to the community as appropriate. Identify and deliver service improvements to continuously balance the demand forservice delivery with the resources available. Model the values and principles that underpin high quality practice by leading by example having a clear understanding of a practitioners perspective. To organise work processes to deliver efficient, on timeon budget monitoring and control to agreed quality standards working closely with members of the finance team. Responsibility for multi-million pound budgets and ensure monitoring to avoid overspends. Identify potential efficiency savings within the serviceand recommend action to realise these in order to maintain continuous service improvement. To lead, manage and develop a team that delivers services to children and families through working collaboratively across the Councils. Ensuring that there is the capacityand capability within the team to deliver the programmed commitments. To plan, manage and monitor the use of available financial, physical and human resources making efficiency savings and/or negotiating and securing additional resources where possible aligningthe use of resources with the strategy to meet demand. Advise on high level complex and contentious issues which could potentially have profound implications for the Councils. Ensure their professional development, so that they have the necessary confidenceand skills and are committed to the provision of high-quality services. Lead staff to meet service quality and performance targets.Service Delivery Ensure that the Councils provide an effective service that meets legislative requirements to ensure effectiveplanning, delivery and performance of the full range of services provided. Ensure that children are safeguarded, and that the service provides interventions which combine risk management and a systemic or social learning theory approach. Develop and reviewpolicies, processes and practice standards to ensure there is a co-ordinated approach to the running of the service. Drive the development of integrated practice within and across teams and services, for the benefit of children, young people and families.Ensure the effective operation of the service against government national standards. Ensure that advice, support and challenge to partner organisations is timely, high quality, appropriate and evidence based. Ensure that policies and systems are in place toinform and receive feedback from service users, partners, stakeholders and employees and take appropriate action for continuous improvement. Develop and implement improvement plans which effect business transformation and improve outcomes for children, youngpeople and families based on performance data. Ensure effective service integration and work closely with other Heads of Service across the Councils to ensure that service planning and delivery is coherent, effective and integrated and represents best possibleuse of resources. Ensure that national information returns are completed in a timely manner.Strategic Development To lead on the development of organisational strategies, translating them into a series of clearly defined policies, protocols, plans and processesthat are financially and operationally sustainable. Work with colleagues across the Councils and externally to contribute to an environment that drives continuous improvement and long term change. To collaborate with internal and external partners and multipleagencies in service development to achieve improved services to children and families and provide specialist advice Oversee the response by a range of services to complex, contentious or controversial cases and alert the Service Director, Executive Directorand portfolio holder/s to critical issues and risk so that appropriate advice can be sought and speedy, positive resolutions can be achieved. Present proposals to members at committee level. Provide a led role in strategic board meetings.Partnership WorkingEstablish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations with external organisations, including school settings and Health to achieve integrated planning, and delivery of services that aim to address the needs of vulnerable children, young peopleand their families. Establish, implement and monitor agreements with key partners to maximise the potential of the service to improve all outcomes for children and families. Take a strategic lead and represent the Councils, developing effective relationshipswith key partners and stakeholders including elected Members, police, housing associations, schools, voluntary and community sector, District and Parish Councils. Seek opportunities to develop integrated practice to ensure the best possible use of resources,reduction of demand on other more specialist services and improving outcomes for children and young people.Risk Management Take responsibility for the management of risk, providing professional judgement and advice to members, senior management and servicedelivery teams in respect of serious or highly complex cases. Ensure all team members hold safeguarding as a priority and manage risk accordingly. Respond to members and provide information and advice in relation to service delivery, and sensitive cases asappropriate. To ensure appropriate security and confidentiality of all information in relation to children/families and any other business of the serviceCommissioning To commission work where required with external suppliers, building positive relationships;negotiat