Deputy Head of Service - Family Help

Luton Borough Council; Luton; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Luton Borough Council is seeking two experienced leaders for the role of Deputy Head of Service for Family Help. This pivotal position involves delivering child-centered services for vulnerable families, driving transformation, and engaging dynamically with the community to enhance outcomes. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, leadership experience in children's services, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Benefits

25 to 32 days annual leave

Pension scheme with up to 20.2% employer contributions

Generous relocation package

Unlimited access to development courses

Flexible working options

Employee Assistance Programme

Staff discounts and benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in multi-agency service management.
• Proven record in motivating teams to reach objectives.
• Strong partnership working and community engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive service transformation and continuous improvement.
• Champion evidence-based practice for better outcomes.
• Lead on performance and workforce development.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Financial Acumen

Education

Senior level experience in children's services

Job description

About The Job

Salary: £58,507 - £61,745 a year pro rata plus £5,000 market supplement allowance and £3,203 car benefit allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Fixed Term until 31st March 2026

Do you have a passion for safeguarding children and empowering families? Luton Council is seeking 2 dynamic and experienced professionals to join our leadership team as a Deputy Head of Service for Family Help.

In this pivotal role, you will be responsible, as directed by the Head of Service, for shaping and delivering a high-performing, child-centred service that provides early help and protection for vulnerable children and their families across Luton.

This is an exciting time of rapid change and innovation as we enter a test and learn phase aimed at evaluating service impact and enhancing outcomes. You will work closely with teams and the community to ensure quality assurance, respond to concerns, and monitor key performance indicators. Your leadership will directly influence the strategic direction, standards, and culture of our Family Help and Child Protection teams.

You Will

• Support the Head of Service in driving service transformation and continuous improvement.
• Champion evidence-based practice and a learning culture to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.
• Play a key role in strategic planning, operational delivery, and community engagement.
• Lead on performance, audit processes, and workforce development to build a skilled, resilient, and sustainable workforce.
• Promote equality, inclusion, and the Council’s commitment to regenerate Luton and improve life chances for all.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

About You

You are an experienced and forward-thinking leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people, and their families. You thrive in a dynamic environment and bring strategic vision, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to high-quality service delivery.

You will have substantial experience of working at a senior level within children’s services, with a strong understanding of the complex needs of children and families in a diverse urban setting. You are confident in leading services through change and are driven by a commitment to continuous improvement and achieving excellence.

Your Expertise Will Include

• Extensive experience of leading and managing multi-agency services across the public and voluntary sectors, delivering improvements and innovation.
• A proven track record in motivating and performance-managing teams to achieve organisational objectives and positive outcomes for families.
• Strong background in partnership working, with the ability to build trusted, professional relationships with internal teams, partners, and the local community.
• Substantial experience in engaging children and families, increasing their participation in shaping and improving services.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to influence, negotiate, and challenge constructively at all levels.
• Sound financial acumen, with experience in managing large budgets and complex funding streams.
• In-depth knowledge of safeguarding, statutory frameworks, and current policy developments impacting children and young people.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to audit, critique, and improve practice while maintaining focus on outcomes and compliance.

At Luton Council, we are proud to serve one of the most diverse and vibrant communities in the UK. This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape the future of children’s services in Luton — to make a real, lasting difference in the lives of children, young people, and families.

About Us

Luton Council has been selected to deliver the government’s Families First for Children Pathfinder programme.

Luton is one of seven new areas in the second wave to be chosen with the aim of protecting vulnerable children from harm and improving services to help more children stay with their families in safe and loving homes.

The programme is an amazing opportunity for Luton to shape future social care practice, which includes closer working relationships with our health, police, education and voluntary sector partners.

Children are at the heart of everything we do in Luton, and we are very proud of the tremendous work that is already taking place together with our partners, including the development of our Family Hubs and working towards making Luton a child-friendly town where our children and young people can grow up feeling happy, healthy and secure.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.

Application process

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.

Additional Information

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
• Friday Funday Socials - One Friday every 2 months where we encourage our staff to get together to socialise after work