Head of Service Fostering & Kinship and Deputy Director of Care

Somerset County Council; Taunton; Hybrid; GBP 79,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking council dedicated to improving children's lives as a Head of Service Fostering & Kinship. This pivotal role involves leading innovative services, ensuring high-quality support for children in care, and managing strategic partnerships. You'll inspire teams, drive change, and implement new initiatives to create nurturing placements. With flexible working arrangements and a supportive environment, this position offers a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the community. If you're passionate about children's welfare and ready to lead, apply now!

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Generous annual leave

Staff discounts in gyms

Employee Assistance Program

Pension scheme

Flexible Benefits Scheme

Discounts through My Staff Shop

Qualifications

• Significant experience in children's social care and service leadership.
• Background in leading change and service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Inspire and lead fostering and kinship services ensuring compliance.
• Oversee registered children's homes and therapeutic education services.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to implement new services.

Skills

Leadership in social care

Change management

Service improvement

Compliance with statutory regulations

Education

Degree in social work or related field

Job description

Head of Service Fostering & Kinship and Deputy Director of Care

Closing in 9 days (19 May, 2025)

Job details

Salary: £78,168 per annum

Department: Leadership and Management

Working pattern: Full Time

About the job

Some key information

• Salary: £78,168 Somerset Grade 5 (Head of Service)

At Somerset Council, we are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families. We are seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to join our team as the Head of Service Fostering & Kinship and Deputy Director of Care with Homes2Inspire. This is a unique opportunity to lead and innovate within our fostering and kinship services while overseeing the strategic management of children’s homes, high needs fostering households, and an integrated therapeutic education service.

Given the crossover and joint responsibilities within these roles, working across children’s social care and more broadly within Somerset Council, Homes & Horizon’s Partnership, and the Shaw Trust, we envisage one person jointly covering both head of service roles—leading our kinship and fostering services and the Homes and Horizon’s Partnership—through a matrix management approach. This will involve a Somerset Council contract and a secondment to Shaw Trust for the role leading our innovative Homes and Horizon’s Partnership.

What will I be doing?

As the Head of Service Fostering & Kinship and Deputy Director of Care, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our services' future. You will ensure children and young people in care receive high-quality support and nurturing placements. You will oversee the Somerset Strategic Partnership, managing registered children’s homes, fostering households, and supporting a therapeutic education service. Your daily responsibilities will include:

• Inspiring and leading fostering and kinship services, ensuring statutory compliance and adherence to best practices.
• Providing visionary leadership to teams of social workers, family and child practitioners, and support staff to drive change, financial sustainability, and service growth to provide caring homes for children in Somerset.
• Leading the mobilisation of new services with Homes2Inspire, ensuring timely and budget-compliant implementation, and collaborating with agencies, stakeholders, and community partners to create a cohesive support network.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training, and guidance to help you excel, but we are seeking someone with a background in leading change and service improvement, with significant experience in children’s social care.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion, reflecting the communities we serve, and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Feel free to contact the hiring manager for an informal chat before applying.

What's in it for me?

We provide a supportive and rewarding environment, with a passionate team dedicated to improving lives in Somerset. Benefits include:

• Flexible working arrangements, including options for remote work.
• Generous annual leave, with the option to purchase additional days.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing services.
• Auto-enrollment in our pension scheme and optional contributions.
• Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice, including cycles for work and health screenings.
• Discounts through My Staff Shop for shopping, dining, cinema, insurance, and more.

Anything else I should know?

For an informal chat, contact [e-mail] or [e-mail]. If you are passionate and qualified, apply now. Interviews are scheduled for the week of 26th May 2025. Somerset Council values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. Please include your full employment history and explanations for any gaps in your CV.

DBS information

This role requires a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.

Supporting documents and information

Please review any attached documents before applying.