Head of Service - Children's

Venn Group; London; On-site; GBP 200,000 +; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm seeks an Interim Head of Service in the West Midlands to oversee children's services during a significant transformation. You will lead multiple teams, support training, and ensure operational continuity while adapting to changes. Experience in children's social care and strong leadership skills are essential. This role requires an immediate start with a competitive daily rate.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Head of Service or similar within children's social care.
• Experienced in managing multiple frontline teams.
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead social work teams during service transformation.
• Support staff training during the Future Foundations rollout.
• Adapt to operational demands in a changing environment.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to ensure service quality.
• Contribute to service planning and strategic delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Decision-making

Adaptability

Knowledge of safeguarding

Job description

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Head of Service - Children's Services
Location: West Midlands
Rate: £500/day (Inside IR35)
Contract: Short-term (initial 3–6 months)
Start: ASAP

Are you a confident, dynamic, and experienced leader in children’s services? Are you ready to make a direct impact during a major transformation?

Our client in the West Midlands is rolling out an ambitious new district-based model as part of a wider transformation programme. To support this key change, we are seeking an interim Head of Service to oversee up to three operational teams, enabling staff to be released for essential training and onboarding.

Responsibilities:

• Leading multiple social work teams to maintain stability during a period of major service transformation
• Supporting the release of staff for training as part of the new Future Foundations model rollout
• Adapting to emerging operational demands in a fast-moving, change-focused environment
• Working collaboratively with senior leaders to uphold high-quality service delivery
• Contributing to service planning, risk management, and strategic delivery

Requirements:

• A proven Head of Service (or similar) within children's social care
• Experienced in managing and supervising multiple frontline teams
• Highly adaptable with strong leadership and decision-making skills
• Comfortable navigating complex change environments
• Focused on outcomes for children, families, and communities
• Sound knowledge of statutory responsibilities, safeguarding, and quality assurance

This is a unique opportunity to step into a high-impact interim post at a pivotal time for the organisation. You’ll play a key role in ensuring operational continuity while shaping the future delivery of children’s services in the area.

This is a time-critical post with an immediate start. If you’re ready to hit the ground running and lead through change, then apply with your up-to-date CV.