Bradford Council - Strategic Director Children's Services

This role has been appointed to, for other roles please visit TeamBradford

Salary: Circa £135- 142k

Full details for this role can be found on Bradford’s senior recruitment website – TeamBradford

On the TeamBradford site you will be able to complete some brief details to then access the Job Profile. The profile will include the Job Description and Person Specification, and there are also webpages describing the role following briefings with the Chief Executive, portfolio holder and senior members, plus key documents and information to help build your understanding of the service in Bradford. The website includes insights into Bradford, the city and wider district in case you don’t know the area – it is some of the best that Yorkshire has to offer and a great place to love and work, with great connectivity too.

About the role

Bradford is a place like few others. Steeped in a proud history of industrial, social and economic success. Our people, our places, our unique countryside, our history and our talent are coming together – connecting us across the UK and around the world to new opportunities. We know that we can build a better future for our people, and through them, for our special corner of Yorkshire. And this starts with our children and young people.

We are proud of the great work that we already do across the district to give every child the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We’ve faced challenges and overcome them. And now we face a new one. At our recent inspection, Ofsted found that the services we deliver to protect the most vulnerable children and young people are not meeting the high standards the children in the district deserve. We’re taking decisive action and have secured improvement partners and allies with national reputations to lead, drive and support radical and rapid change. We now want a new Strategic Director Children’s Services who believes in our vision for a strong, vibrant Bradford; thriving for all our people, investing in all our children and safe for everyone.

Our new Strategic Director will lead the department through a major improvement journey. We have many of the foundations in place; a clear vision, excellent partnerships, political support, financial commitment, brilliant people and deep connections to our communities. We need someone to bring these all together, able to drive change, ensuring the right judgement, at the right time, in the right way. Our focus is not just on the here and now, it’s also about building a system where early intervention is connected to a thriving life and environment, good jobs, safe communities, confidence, ambition and success.

We want a new Strategic Director steeped in children’s social care, able to embed excellent practice throughout our services, enabling talent to flourish and making the tough calls when necessary. That’s our minimum starting point. But this is also about harnessing a network of great education opportunities, effective inclusion, building skills for a lifetime and connecting people for life. Whilst you’ll drive up the quality of our children’s social care, you’ll also ensure our education system and all our partners keep investing in and improving outcomes across the District. The potential, talent and importance of all our children bind all our strategies together into a cohesive whole. We also want a real corporate focus and the leadership to inspire across the District. For us, the best ‘here and now’ is also our strongest future.

In reality, this probably means you’re a current Director of Children’s Services or a Deputy Director with the track record to show you can step up into one of the largest Mets in the country. You’ll have deep experience of recovery and service improvement, working with Ofsted and success in an urban, diverse and dynamic environment. Come and find out what makes us so special.