Head Of Service - Corporate Parenting - Req24411

Introduction

Our vision for Leeds is to be a great place to grow up; a child friendly, inclusive, compassionate, sustainable and economically successful city where children and young people feel welcome and safe, and where they have the right opportunities and support to achieve their full potential.  A key part of this is our focus on voice and influence ensuring children and young people’s views are central to our strategy and practice. 

As with any core city and in the current post pandemic climate, Leeds has its challenges, but we are delighted that in 2018 and in 2022 Ofsted have rated us as Outstanding. We have a culture of restorative practice and a Family Valued Model that allows for relentless focus on our obsessions in our Children and Young Peoples Plan. 

About the role 

We are ambitious for our Children Looked After and have an excellent range of our own residential homes and foster carers which we are expanding to allow us to bring more children in external residentials into our own provision. 

The Head of Service for Corporate Parenting is pivotal to our role as a Corporate Parent, leading on our Corporate Parenting duties, delivering on our strategy and ensuring the right support for our Children Looked After, meeting our statutory and moral responsibilities. 

About you

Leeds has a rich tapestry of third sector, voluntary and statutory partners and we believe relationships and the ability to work with partners is central to the role. You should be someone that collaborates well - working with colleagues within the directorate and across Leeds City Council, partners, and communities to meet the needs of children and young people. 

In the current changing national landscape, we want someone to join Team Leeds who is a strategic thinker bringing innovation and drive, and as part of Team Leeds is able to shape and influence, locally, regionally and nationally. 

Leeds is an ambitious city, and if you can offer a compelling track record and the desire to build on existing good practice it will be the ideal place to drive innovation. Child Friendly Leeds is our ambition and drive - be a part of our journey. 

The successful candidate will be educated to degree level or higher and possess a diploma in Social Work or equivalent with membership of relevant professional bodies.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

For more information or to arrange a discussion about the role, please contact Farrah Khan, Deputy Director, Children’s Social Care at Farrah.Khan@leeds.gov.uk     

To request a candidate information pack, please contact: recruitment@leeds.gov.uk.

Closing date: Monday 12th February 2024

Interviews: Week commencing 04th March 2024

How to apply

Apply for this job online. Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words addressing the employee specification, evidencing how you meet the criteria.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s barred list will be carried out on preferred candidates.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is an Inclusive employer, ranked 70 on the Stonewall top 100 employers 2023 list. We are also an Age friendly employer, a Mindful employer and a Disability Confident leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period. 

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK  - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job purpose 

Deliver programmes of strategic significance to the Council in order to deliver services in line with Council & Directorate priorities. They will take lead and be responsible for implementing the service plan and drive continuous improvement initiatives through leading and contributing to cross Council projects, collaborative working with partners and supporting Directorate management teams.  A key element of this role is to ensure that the Council delivers high quality services that meet and exceed statutory and regulated standards. The role must demonstrate a comprehensive and effective approach to ensure that the safeguarding expectations of key stakeholders are met.

Responsibilities 

• Responsible for the quality and delivery of leadership and management to Looked After Children Services, including Residential, Fostering and Placements, Youth Justice and Care Leaving, playing a full part in the work of the service and operational senior management teams. 
• Contribute to and be jointly responsible for the development and delivery of an agenda of Service improvement, and the ongoing development with partners of locality based, fully integrated provider services across the city. 
• Identify improvement needs, lead and support transformation programmes in Children and Families and specifically to secure high quality, robust, effective and efficiently delivered services. 
• Drive a programme that delivers the Council’s ambitions and requirements for Corporate Parenting.
• Provide effective management of resources in accordance with statute, the rules and regulations of the Council and the Directorate. 
• Act as the ‘Responsible Individual’ for the authority’s children’s’ homes where required.
• Maintain a robust management framework to ensure the ongoing effective management of the service and resources employed.
• In designated areas have lead responsibility for ensuring high quality service delivery meeting full compliance with statutory, regulatory and Leeds City Council standards. 
• Manage the effective and efficient delivery and development of high-quality social work - Children Looked After, Youth Justice and Care Leaving Services. 
• Implement ways of raising and extending the quality of Services to customers. 
• Lead day to day service delivery and the continuous development and improvement of provider services in accordance with agreed targets and objectives included in council and service plans.
• In designated areas have lead responsibility to ensure full compliance with safeguarding policies and procedures relating to service delivery and employment practices.
• Ensure that all aspects of Service delivery, community engagement and staffing, focus on equality of outcomes and secure equal and fair treatment and access for all.
• Achieve a full understanding of Service responsibilities and organisation, ensuring that all service costs are clearly documented and that asset management is effectively addressed.
• Develop and implement robust performance management processes to ensure that the service and staff deliver to agreed standards. 
• Actively and directly manage performance of both staff and the service through appropriate appraisal and supervision, ensuring early intervention where performance falls below, or threatens to fall below, required standards.
• Implement regular, formal quality assurance and performance monitoring and reporting and ensure that management information systems are developed, utilised and maintained in support of this.
• Ensure that client information is comprehensive, regularly updated and that data protection standards and information sharing protocols are in place and are fully complied with.
• Ensure that commissioned outcomes are understood by all staff and that service delivery is flexible and responsive, to enable it to meet changing priorities and needs.
• Ensure that workforce development and skills mix are a key component in any service delivery redesign.
• Actively and directly manage and establish controls for a large and complex budget.
• Significant leadership experience in a social care service delivery or operational area.
• Management of complex projects and of the delivery of required outcomes.
• Bring together and provide leadership to the wider internal disciplines essential to the success of the service, including (but not limited to) support from finance, legal and procurement.
• Ensure effective service delivery through effective governance, project, budget and risk management. 
• Build confidence with senior officers, elected members and partners, ensuring that they are appropriately briefed and involved in relation to any service issues and that information is available and accessible to senior internal stakeholders. 
• In line with the Budget Management Accountability Framework to be responsible and accountable for developing appropriate, proportionate and effective financial solutions to be implemented across the service.
• Take lead and build strong and dynamic relationships and networks and build trust with individuals and partner agencies and external organisations to deliver better outcomes.
• Manage, promote and deliver positive solutions to achieving diversity and inclusion in all aspects of Service delivery, community engagement and human resource areas, focussing on equality of outcome.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate to the grade.

Qualifications 

Degree and post graduate qualification, a diploma in Social Work or equivalent, membership of relevant professional bodies and evidence of ongoing professional development.

Working Context 

Post holders will work flexibly both at home and at various locations across the City and region. All colleagues should work in line with our hybrid working principles and spend regular time in the workplace to support service delivery, meeting the needs of the team and the requirements of their individual role.  The hours are worked mainly Monday to Friday. However, the post holder will be expected to work outside normal working hours, including attendance at evening/weekend meetings or events if required to meet the needs of the service. 

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

• Able to provide visible and supportive leadership, which empowers, enables and develops staff to achieve results.
• Able to manage and monitor performance effectively and set clear objectives for the review of individual and service level performance.
• Able to produce comprehensive high-quality reports, business cases and deliver presentations to an audience.
• Able to deliver Projects, using formal methodologies which support business change.
• Able to make an effective contribution to internal and external meetings including complex and sensitive negotiations.
• Able to take forward initiatives and policies from development to implementation.
• Able to resolve conflict.
• Able to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of projects and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Able to initiate and lead change programmes, improve service quality and support a culture that drives up standards and performance.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of economic strategy and policy, of local government political systems and experience of working on politically sensitive issues which commands respect trust and confidence.
• Demonstrate knowledge of legislation, regulations, policies, inspections and performance information applicable to the relevant strategic functions.  
• Comprehensive understanding of the inspection and regulatory framework as relevant to the role relating to children’s social care, fostering, children’s residential services and Youth Justice Services.
• Understanding of and commitment to a culture of quality outcomes.
• An understanding of and commitment to sustainability in service delivery.
• Comprehensive understanding of the social care, children’s services and youth justice agenda.
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of Children’s Services within local government.
• Experience of managing risk in relation to an area of work.
• Experience of managing children’s regulated services.
• Substantial experience in building credible and effective collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.  
• Evidence of developing and driving a culture which puts customers first and where everyone can realise their potential and ‘feels they count’.
• Experience of working with senior management to shape and influence the delivery of the council’s strategic priorities ensuring people issues are kept at the forefront.

Behavioural & other Characteristics 

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Be aware of promote and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection.
• Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the behaviours, values and standards of Leeds City Council. 
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.