C&YP Head of Service, Safeguarding, Review & Quality Assurance

We Manage Jobs(WMJobs); Hereford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Herefordshire Council is seeking a Head of Safeguarding to lead safeguarding services with a commitment to child welfare. This role requires substantial leadership experience in children's services and an ability to drive quality assurance practices. The successful candidate will influence strategic service delivery and champion best practices. A registered Social Worker qualification is essential. The position offers a competitive salary and generous benefits, including relocation support and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Relocation support up to £10,000

Generous Annual Leave: 31 days plus bank holidays

Pension Scheme Enrolment

Flexible working options

Professional development support

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Significant experience in safeguarding children's services in a managerial role.
• Proven track record in leading Quality Assurance.
• Strong analytical, strategic and partnership-working skills.
• Ability to lead confidently in high-pressure, complex environments.
• Passion for improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the strategic delivery of safeguarding and review services.
• Ensure statutory functions are delivered to the highest standards.
• Provide leadership to managers and drive high performance.
• Lead quality assurance framework and shape practice development.

Skills

Significant experience in safeguarding children’s services in a managerial role

Proven track record in leading Quality Assurance

Strong analytical skills

Strategic and partnership-working skills

Ability to lead confidently in high-pressure environments

Passion for improving outcomes for families

Strong professional credibility

Education

Registered with Social Work England and hold a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree/DipSW/CQSW)

Job description

About The Role

Contract: Permanent
Location: Hereford
Hours: 37 hours
Salary: HC13 £65,303 - £70,596 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year £70,303 - £75,596)
Location: Herefordshire
Relocation package of up to £10,000 available
Closing date: 28/12/2025
Interview date: 08/01/2026

Introduction

Herefordshire Council is seeking an exceptional and forward-thinking senior leader to take on the pivotal role of Head of Safeguarding, Review and Quality Assurance. This is a rare and high‑impact opportunity for an experienced professional who is passionate about driving change, influencing system‑wide improvement, and embedding best practice across children’s services. As a key member of the senior management team, reporting directly to the DCS, and working in key strategic partnerships, you will help shape the future of safeguarding and social work practice in Herefordshire. This role requires work at both an operational and strategic level and you will champion the voice and lived experience of children, young people and families, ensuring their needs and rights are at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud of our restorative approach to social work – a way of working that is firmly embedded in our team culture and management style. Collaboration and reflection are at the heart of how we practice.

Your leadership will be critical in sustaining our safeguarding arrangements, enhancing the quality of our practice, and ensuring that our services strive for excellence. You will join an experienced and committed leadership team with a shared ambition: to create a safe, supportive and aspirational environment for all children and young people in Herefordshire.

Curious about what it’s really like to work with us? This short video gives you a glimpse into the heart of our service and shows why Herefordshire Council could be the perfect place for your next career move.

https://youtu.be/FSjU-FV5uic

The Role

In this influential leadership role, you will oversee the strategic delivery of our safeguarding and review services, ensuring statutory functions, including IRO, LADO and child protection conference activity are delivered to the highest standards. You will provide strong leadership to managers, manage substantial budgets, and drive high performance. You will lead our quality assurance framework, champion learning from audits, complaints, rapid reviews and serious case reviews, and ensure this learning shapes practice and workforce development.

You will act as Principal Social Worker for Children’s and you will influence and contribute to HSCB priorities. You will also support inspection readiness, manage complaints and compliments, contribute to service transformation, represent the Council in serious case reviews, and deputise for the Service Director as required. All while modelling exemplary leadership and championing the voices and experiences of children, young people and families.

Herefordshire has recently achieved a great milestone in improvement and we would like you to be part of our next chapter.

To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact [e-mail]

About You

• Significant experience in safeguarding children’s services in a managerial role
• A proven track record in leading Quality Assurance
• Strong analytical, strategic and partnership-working skills
• The ability to lead confidently in high‑pressure, complex environments
• A passion for improving outcomes for children, young people and families
• Strong professional credibility
• Registered with Social Work England and hold a recognised Social Work qualification (Degree/DipSW/CQSW)

We Offer

• Starting salary of HC13 £65,303 - £70,596
• Market Forces Supplement: £5,000 per annum
• Relocation packages: support up to £10,000
• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)
• Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress
• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum
• Flexible working: flexi‑time, job‑share, part‑time hours and in some instances home working
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts

Why Choose Us?

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.

Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.

It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practice approach working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.

If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire – where your work truly matters.

Herefordshire Council Plan

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:

Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [e-mail].

If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.

For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the "Disability Confident" scheme.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre‑employment checks.

How to apply

To apply for a position, please upload an up‑to‑date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.

Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, the C&YP Recruitment Team will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox – check your spam/ junk folder too.

Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!

Please note

The council is currently unable to offer overseas visa sponsorship for Social Worker roles in Children & Young People. Overseas prospective candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK should not apply for these roles. We appreciate your interest in Herefordshire Council and would encourage you to consider other opportunities with us that may be open to sponsorship. A full list of current vacancies can be found here: https://spiritofherefordshire.com/children-young-people/jobs/.