Head of Service - Family Help - Adolescent Practice Lead

Job Description

Join Harrow Children’s Services – Head of Service - Family Help - Adolescent Practice Lead

Be part of an ambitious Children’s Social Care service improving outcomes for children and families

The London Borough of Harrow is entering an exciting period as we deliver an ambitious programme of Children’s Services reform, including Families First, Best Start Family Hubs, Best Start in Life and SEND reforms. Our ambition is clear: to help every child thrive by reshaping support for children, young people and families across the borough.

Through the Families First Programme, we are developing a practice system where relationships are central, families are supported to make decisions about their own lives, and multi-disciplinary help is offered at the earliest opportunity.

As one of our two Heads of Service in Family Help you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping, coordinating and continuously improving Harrow’s Family Help system at a key point in its development with leadership in the area of adolescent & youth offer including Harrow’s Youth Justice Service.

You will lead Harrow’s Family Help Teams including the Youth Justice Service to deliver timely, effective and proportionate support, improving outcomes and life chances for children and families, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

You will ensure the local Family Help system is aligned with Harrow’s wider Children’s Reforms Programmes and the Children’s Social Care National Framework. As we develop specialist areas of practice, you will help shape these emerging services and ensure integration with partners and lead the continued evolution of our work with children and families.

We are looking for a creative, ambitious leader who is passionate about improving children’s lives and experience in relevant areas of practice. You will be energised by the opportunity to lead a developing service, influence practice across the system and contribute to national learning on the future of children’s social care.

What makes this role special?

• Providing high-quality leadership of our Family Help Teams to ensure the very highest professional practice delivering an integrated approach leading on help for adolescents and their families.

• Be the lead to create and maintain multi-agency working and developing collaborative relationships with partners to ensure that children and young people are supported and safeguarded.

• Responsible for ensuring that children's assessments and plans have clear priorities, are of good quality and focus on the child's needs.

• Drive forward the key priorities and values of the service by working in collaboration with the wider Children’s Services Leadership Team.

• Champion strengths-based, relationship-based and family-led practice, with a clear focus on early intervention, prevention and sustainable outcomes.

• Use performance insight, audit, quality assurance and professional curiosity to drive continuous improvement and support confident decision-making.

• Work collaboratively with senior leaders and partners to strengthen safeguarding responses, manage risk well and promote inclusive, culturally competent practice.

We are looking for a strategic and resilient leader with a strong background in children’s social care and safeguarding. You will bring credibility, sound judgement and the ability to lead in a complex, fast-paced environment where partnership working, risk management and high-quality practice are essential.

You will be confident in providing both support and challenge, developing managers and practitioners, and creating the conditions for reflective, evidence-informed and child-centred practice. You will also be able to translate strategy into delivery, using data and intelligence to improve services, manage demand and demonstrate impact for children and families.

Your experience will include:

• A recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.

• Substantial experience in children’s services, including leadership of child in need, safeguarding, adolescent services & youth justice practice.

• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, thresholds, information-sharing and multi-agency decision-making.

• A proven ability to lead service improvement, strengthen practice quality and use performance information to evaluate impact.

• Experience of managing people, budgets and resources effectively within a complex service environment.

• Excellent communication and partnership skills, with the ability to engage confidently with staff, senior leaders, elected members, schools, partners and communities.

• A strong commitment to equality, anti-racist & culturally competent practice, professional curiosity and improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

Closing date: 20 September 2026

Interviews: 8 - 9 October 2026

For further information about these roles please contact roisin.madden@harrow.gov.uk

Form more information please refer to the Role Profile/ Selection Criteria

About us

Harrow Council is the 12th largest London borough and one of the most culturally diverse local authorities in the UK, making it a great place to live, work and visit with a range of cultures, religions and opinions that come together to produce high achieving schools and a close and friendly community. Located 10 miles from the city centre and just 13 minutes to Euston from Harrow & Wealdstone station there are great transport links via the Metropolitan Line, Watford DC Line and national rail service. It is easily accessible to the M1, M25 and A406.

Other information

Support for candidates visit:Harrow.gov.uk Our behavioural indicators roles below G11 and above G11 Here at Harrow Council, the vision is one of 'Working together to make a difference for Harrow' Please click here to view Harrow Council's benefits

Important Note

To deliver our commitment to equality of opportunity in service provision, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs at the London Borough of Harrow. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender, reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification applies. As such, we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. For further information, please read our equality statement.

As a disability-confident employer, we are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and accessible to everyone. This includes reasonably adjusting the recruitment process for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions. For further information, please contact us at resourcing@harrow.gov.uk

London Borough of Harrow is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Harrow operates stringent, safer recruitment procedures.

Due to the high number of applications received for some posts, we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

Harrow redeployees will be given priority consideration.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, any your data protection rights, can be found by visiting www.cifas.org.uk/fpn