Head of Service
Children Looked After

We’re looking for a passionate and committed Head of Service - Children Looked After to make a real difference to children, young people and families living in Thurrock. While we’re already graded as Good by Ofsted, we want to enhance and improve our services to achieve Outstanding in the near future. This is a brilliant opportunity to change lives on the ground – and achieve the very best outcomes that our children and young people deserve.

As our new Head of Service, you’ll provide strategic leadership, vision and direction across our Children Looked After Service, ensuring the team’s practice and values are of the highest standard – and deliver tangible results for the children and people of Thurrock. Like all local authorities, we face a number of challenges, particularly around placements and transitions, so we’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running and find innovative solutions to transform our service. This will involve working closely with the Assistant Director and the wider children's leadership team. You’ll also collaborate with key partners across education, health and police to influence change across the system.

As a qualified social worker and experienced leader, you’ll be an excellent team player with the ability to motivate and empower your teams – and a proven track record in fostering, adoption, and/or children with disabilities. We want someone who can think creatively to tackle the complex challenges we face as a sector. The role will also involve working with elected members, and requires political astuteness and acumen to navigate these relationships.