Head of Corporate Parenting

Head of Corporate Parenting 

Location: London – 3 days per week on site 
Rate: Up to £600 per day (Inside IR35) 
Contract: 6 months minimum 
Start: ASAP 

A London based Local Authority is seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Corporate Parenting to provide strategic leadership across Children in Care, Care Leavers and Participation services. This is a critical interim appointment while the current post-holder transitions into an Assistant Director role. 
This is not a role for someone looking to simply “hold the line” – the Council is seeking a leader who can drive cultural change, deliver at pace, and take a confident, challenge-focused approach to improving outcomes and reducing cost pressures. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide strong, visible leadership across Corporate Parenting services, driving a culture of high performance and accountability.
• Lead and manage Children in Care, Care Leavers and Participation teams, with two Service Managers reporting directly into the role.
• Address and reduce the number of highcost placements, implementing strategies to achieve significant cost reductions.
• Deliver a clear plan to reduce the number of Children in Care by 50%, ensuring safe and sustainable outcomes.
• Shape, develop and expand the Participation service, currently consisting of one Participation Worker.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders, partners, and operational teams to embed positive change and service improvement. 

About You 

You will be: 

• A confident and decisive senior leader within Children’s Services.
• Experienced in managing Children in Care, Care Leavers and/or Corporate Parenting functions.
• Skilled at delivering transformation, cultural change and measurable service improvement.
• Comfortable making tough decisions, challenging existing practice, and driving financial efficiency.
• Able to operate at pace in a complex local authority environment. 

If you’re interested in discussing this opportunity in more detail or know someone who this may be of interest to, please contact Melanie Machin on 0117 3137110  or  apply today. 
  
(We offer a senior referral scheme upon successful placement of your recommendation so please do get in contact) 

Our clients are passionate about creating and evolving a diverse workforce and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant.  Recruiting decisions are based on your experience and skills.  Any reasonable adjustments in the workplace will be fully supported during the application and hiring process 

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