Service Director - Children’s Social Care - 05410

Help shape the future for children, families and communities. At West Berkshire, we believe every child should have the opportunity to achieve, thrive and fulfil their potential.

We are ambitious for our children and young people, ambitious for our workforce, and ambitious for our communities. As we continue to transform services in response to national reform, changing need and rising expectations, we are seeking an exceptional leader to join our Children's Services Leadership Team as our next Service Director for Children's Social Care.

This is far more than a service leadership role. It is an opportunity to influence strategic direction, lead significant system change, contribute to corporate decision-making and ensure that children and families remain at the heart of everything we do.

Reporting directly to the Executive Director for Children’s Services, you will be one of the most influential leaders within the organisation. You will provide strategic leadership across children's social care services whilst helping to shape our wider vision for children, families and communities across West Berkshire.

A rare leadership opportunity.

Children's Services nationally are entering a pivotal period of reform.

The implementation of Families First, the continued development of integrated safeguarding arrangements, changes to children's social care and SEND, and increasing expectations around prevention and early intervention are creating opportunities to rethink how services are designed and delivered.

West Berkshire is embracing that challenge.

We are investing in transformation, strengthening partnerships, modernising our operating model and creating the conditions for children and families to receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

As a key member of the Children's Services Leadership Team, you will help shape that future.

You will lead major areas of statutory responsibility whilst contributing significantly to broader corporate priorities, service transformation and partnership development. You will work alongside senior leaders from health, education, safeguarding, police, voluntary sector and regional partnerships to deliver better outcomes for children and young people.

This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact not only on services, but on an entire system.

About the role

As Service Director, you will:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for children's social care services.
• Champion excellent practice and a relentless focus on improving outcomes for children and families.
• Lead statutory services including safeguarding, corporate parenting and targeted support.
• Drive continuous improvement through quality assurance, performance management and learning.
• Lead major transformation programmes aligned to national reform and local priorities.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships across education, health, safeguarding and the voluntary sector.
• Provide professional challenge, leadership and influence across the wider children's system.
• Contribute to corporate leadership, supporting organisational priorities and wider council objectives.
• Work closely with elected Members, senior officers, regulators and external partners.
• Ensure children, young people and families are central to service design and decision-making.

About you

We are looking for an accomplished and values-driven leader who combines strategic thinking with strong operational delivery.

You will bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience within children's services.
• A strong track record of delivering service improvement and leading through change.
• Deep understanding of statutory children's social care responsibilities and safeguarding.
• Experience of working effectively with regulators, elected Members and partner agencies.
• Strong evidence of improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
• The ability to lead large, complex services through challenge, reform and transformation.
• Excellent communication, influencing and partnership-building skills.
• Financial acumen and the ability to balance resources with rising demand.
• A collaborative leadership style that inspires confidence, trust and high performance.
• Most importantly, you will share our ambition for children and young people and bring the energy, resilience and credibility needed to lead in a complex and fast-moving environment.

Why West Berkshire?

West Berkshire offers something increasingly rare. The scale of the organisation provides genuine visibility and influence, while the complexity of the challenges provides the opportunity to make a significant and lasting contribution.

You will join a strong and supportive leadership team that values innovation, collaboration and professional challenge. You will work in an organisation that is committed to continuous improvement and determined to deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Influence strategic direction across Children's Services and the wider council.
• Lead complex system change and major transformation programmes.
• Work alongside highly committed partners across education, health and safeguarding.
• Shape the future delivery of services at a time of significant national reform.
• Develop innovative approaches that improve outcomes and deliver sustainable change.
• Leave a lasting legacy for children, young people and families.
• This is a role for a leader who wants to make a difference beyond organisational boundaries.
• You will bring the credibility to lead statutory services, the vision to shape future provision and the ambition to influence broader change across the whole system.

If you are excited by the opportunity to lead, innovate and shape the future of children's services within an ambitious and forward-looking authority, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Join us at West Berkshire Council and make a positive impact in our community while advancing your career. Explore everything that a career with West Berkshire Council has to offer here: Working with Us

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact AnnMarie Dodds, Executive Director - annmariedodds1@westberks.gov.uk.

Equal Opportunities

The Council supports Equal Opportunity of employment and positively encourages applications from people who fall within any of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Interviews

Candidates must ensure they are available to attend the following interview panels:

Monday 14th December - Technical interview via Teams

Tuesday 15th December (evening) - Young People panel interview via Teams

Wednesday 16th December - full day with two panel interviews at Shaw House, Newbury

How to apply

Please now complete a short online application form. You will then be able to upload your CV.

West Berkshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all its staff and volunteers to share these values. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. This role involves regulated activity with children. As such, appointment is subject to anEnhanced DBS check with the relevant Barred List(s).

In this post you will be required tomaintain continuous registration with the DBS Update Service for the duration of your employment.

This privacy notice applies to job applicants applying for vacancies with West Berkshire Council https://info.westberks.gov.uk/pnapplications

AI in Applications

We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation.

However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected.

We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability.

About us

West Berkshire council is a forward thinking and ambitious council. We have a positive attitude to our work and focus on excellent teamwork to deliver award winning services for our residents and businesses.

We employ over 1,500 members of staff corporately, plus additional members of staff working across our local schools and education settings. We offer a wide array of opportunities for training and development and varied career progression opportunities.

Our staff support the delivery of a wide range of services on behalf of the Council. Ranging from garden waste collection, planning and roadworks to caring for those in our communities. Everything we do is focused on our priority for improvement and delivering our values of fairness, integrity and being customer focused.