Assistant Director - Youth Justice Service

At Birmingham Children's Trust, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, fulfil their potential and make a positive contribution to their community.

We are seeking an exceptional leader to become our next Assistant Director – Youth Justice Service. This is an opportunity to lead a committed and ambitious service at an important stage in its improvement journey, building on existing strengths whilst driving the next phase of improvement for children, young people, victims and communities across Birmingham.

Working with skilled practitioners, engaged partners and an experienced leadership team, you will provide strategic leadership to a service committed to Child First principles, safeguarding vulnerable children, reducing offending and reoffending, improving outcomes for victims and creating safer communities.

Leading Improvement Through People

We are looking for a leader who understands that sustainable improvement is achieved through people.

You will have the ability to bring people with you, creating a clear sense of purpose, empowering staff and developing a culture where high support and high challenge go hand in hand. You will be a visible, authentic and relational leader, capable of engaging a diverse workforce, creating a psychologically safe environment where people feel able to contribute, learn and speak up, and inspiring confidence through periods of change and improvement.

Birmingham is one of the most diverse cities in Europe, and we expect our leaders to champion equality, diversity and inclusion in everything they do. You will understand the importance of addressing disproportionality and inequality, ensuring that services are inclusive, responsive and shaped by the experiences of children, young people, victims, families and communities.

The Opportunity

This is one of the largest Youth Justice leadership roles in the country. The scale and complexity of Birmingham provides a unique platform to influence practice, policy and innovation, both locally and beyond the city.

You will lead a substantial service, significant resources and a multidisciplinary workforce working alongside partners from Children's Services, Health, Education, Police, Probation, Community Safety and the voluntary and community sectors.

For the right candidate, this role offers the opportunity not only to improve outcomes for Birmingham's children and young people, but also to help shape the future direction of Youth Justice practice nationally.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

About You

• Experienced and credible senior leader with a strong understanding of youth justice and a track record of leading complex organisational and service improvement within multi-agency environments.
• Experience and ability to combine strategic thinking with strong people leadership, bringing the energy, resilience and emotional intelligence needed to lead a service through improvement whilst maintaining the commitment, confidence and wellbeing of the workforce.
• Experience of building effective cross-sector partnerships across children's services, education, health, policing, probation, community safety and the voluntary sector.
• Create an environment that enables people and resources to work to their full potential.
• Act as an ambassador for the Trust through a commitment to effective partnership working, collaboration and system leadership.
• Ensure a representative cross-section of children, young people, families, victims and stakeholders are involved in shaping, planning and evaluating services.

If you are passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people, committed to inclusive leadership and motivated by the opportunity to make a lasting difference, we would welcome your application

Onboarding Process

Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian including Experian DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Our Benefits

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Don't miss out! We reserve the right to close this vacancy early once we have received the required number of applications. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application and supporting statement at the earliest opportunity.

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage you to submit your application and supporting statement as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this opportunity.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.