About the role
Reporting to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, you will be part of an experienced senior leadership team, leading and managing operational teams to support children and their families, including children experiencing risk outside of their homes and in contact with the youth justice system. You will create the right culture and environment for the workforce to flourish, and ensure strategic plans enable the best operational delivery of the services our families need.
You will lead our Family Help service as we implement the social care reforms and embed the national practice framework, putting children at the heart of all we do. You will work collaboratively to lead and embed a practice focused culture to deliver high quality outcomes for our most vulnerable children and young people.
One of overarching aims of Stoke-on-Trent’s Family Matters programme is to support more children to live safely at home with their families and within their communities; recognising that for most children, their outcomes are better when they live with family.
Our relational practice approach places an emphasis on the importance of investing in relationships, and working “with” families, rather than “doing for” or “doing to”, keeping children and young people at the heart of everything they do. This emphasises that families are part of the solution.
We are committed to delivering our ambitious programme for transforming and improving the aspirations and opportunities for the residents of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. As the Director – Children’s Social Care, you will help deliver the council’s ambitions to tackle inequalities that impact individuals and communities throughout our city, and support family life through leading and implementing change programmes that improve service quality and performance standards.
To be successful in this role you will need to determine the best model of service delivery across the division which delivers a high-quality customer experience, achieves high performance and contributes to the council’s ambitions to be a commercial council. All whilst working with colleagues to ensure that the safety, and the social and emotional needs of children and young people are at the core of decision making. Additionally, you will engage with the views and opinions of children and young people to inform how we transform and are at the heart of our strategic decision-making process.
We are open to all backgrounds and specialisms, but it is essential that you are experienced in services for children in care. As a senior officer, you will provide confident, visible, strategic and values-led leadership. You will demonstrate effective political awareness with the aptitude to promote a culture of close collaboration and working strategically. You will be an ambassador for the council, promoting our image as a city, supporting the formation of strategic alliances and developing effective working relationships on a local, regional and national basis, including the local voluntary and community sector, social enterprises, the private sector.
Are you up for the challenge?
Directorate: Children and Families
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
Salary: DH4 - £107,690 - £112,908
Reference: Director – Children’s Social Care (Safeguarding and Early Help)
Click here to apply
Indicative Timetable
Closing date for applications: 29 August 2025
Preliminary/Technical Interviews: 5-10 September 2025
Final Stakeholder and Panel Interviews: w/c 22 September 2025
Contact: If you are keen to explore how you could make a difference, we encourage you to speak to our partners at GatenbySanderson, Philip Emms (07590 225472) or Alex Hayes (07586 715 843)
