Programme Manager - CSC

Connect2Halton; Widnes; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Connect2Halton is seeking an experienced Programme Manager to join the Change Delivery Unit and support a programme across Education (SEND Reform) and Children’s services. You will bring strategic insight to align social care transformation with education and SEND initiatives, strengthening joint working and delivering sustainable, affordable services.

You will lead complex change, translating priorities into deliverable plans, provide senior level advisory support, and ensure safeguarding and

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex change within children's social care and/or education and SEND.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills to develop programmes of work and manage against them.
• Strong project and budget management skills with ability to prepare board level reports.

Responsibilities

• Develop proposals into robust business cases.
• Coordinate financial modelling with Finance colleagues.
• Develop and oversee project plans and schedules.
• Coordinate and communicate with stakeholders and partners.
• Monitor progress and identify risks.
• Lead project officers to meet objectives and achieve savings.
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders and clients.
• Produce regular status updates and reports for audiences.
• Highlight issues and proactively solve problems with senior leaders.
• Report on project performance per governance requirements.
• Ensure deliverables meet quality standards.
• Evaluate outcomes and provide recommendations for future projects.

Skills

Programme management

SEND reform

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Board reporting

Strategic planning

Job description

We are currently seeking an experienced Programme Manager to join our Change Delivery Unit and support a programme of work across Education (SEND Reform) and Childrens services.

• Bring strategic insight into education and SEND reform, helping the Council align children's social care transformation with wider changes across education, inclusion and special educational needs and disabilities, while strengthening joint working, improving outcomes and ensuring services are sustainable and affordable.
• Provide senior level children's social care expertise to support and accelerate an established programme of transformation, working alongside existing corporate and service leadership arrangements.
• Bring a proven track record of leading complex change within children's social careand/or education and SEND, with experience of translating strategic priorities into deliverable plans across workforce, service redesign, commissioning, placements, early help and statutory social care services.
• Provide constructive challenge and specialist advice to ensure proposals are evidence-based, operationally credible and capable of improving the quality, consistency and impact of services for children, young people and families.
• Continue and strengthen the focus on long-term sustainability and affordability, helping the Council to identify opportunities to manage demand, reduce reliance on high-cost provision and agency staffing, improve value for money and ensure that financial benefits are realistic and deliverable.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders, managers, practitioners, partners and programme colleagues to resolve barriers, maintain pace and support effective implementation, while ensuring that safeguarding, statutory duties, workforce capacity and service quality remain central to decision-making.

Duties

• Working with officers and leaders to develop proposals into robust business cases.
• Working closely with Financial Management colleagues to develop financial modelling and track progress against trajectories.
• Developing and overseeing project plans and schedules.
• Coordinating and communicating with stakeholders, team members, and external partners.
• Monitoring and tracking project progress and identify any potential issues or risks.
• Leading and directing project officers and other project team members to ensure objectives are met on time and savings are achieved.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and clients to provide support and challenge where appropriate.
• Produce regular, meaningful status updates and reports for a variety of audiences both internal and external, presenting these at meetings where appropriate.
• Highlight issues and challenges and proactively problem‑solve, working in a positive and supportive manner with the senior leaders and officers.
• Reporting on project performance and outcomes in accordance with programme governance and reporting requirements of the wider change governance.
• Ensuring project deliverables meet quality standards and requirements.
• Evaluating project outcomes and providing recommendations for future projects as part of the ongoing programme.

About the Candidate

• An experienced programme manager with experience of managing complex change programme
• Experience and knowledge of SEND
• Excellent planning and organisational skills to develop programmes of work and manage against them.
• Strong project and budget management skills.
• Experience of preparing board level reports
• Knowledge and understanding of project management software packages specifically MS Project
• Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills
• Experience within environment services would be beneficial but is not essential.

Successful candidate will be required to work one day per week on site. Initially more frequent to support relationship building

Hours of work 37 per week

Connect2Halton is a trading style of Halton & Kent Commercial Services LLP- A joint venture between Halton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Halton is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business.