Director of Safeguarding and Support

Director of Safeguarding and Support
Interim Opportunity – 3 to 6 months
Swindon
£630–£730 per day
Inside IR35 (via umbrella)
Hybrid working CVs are being reviewed immediately, with interviews taking place shortly.

Reporting to the DCS, you will play a pivotal role in driving forward Swindon’s ambitious improvement journey. Improving outcomes for children and young people is the Council’s highest priority, and significant progress has already been made in building a strong and stable senior leadership team. This brand‑new post provides crucial additional capacity to deliver on the transformation plan and accelerate positive change.

You will lead a broad portfolio including early intervention, youth and community services, front door services, and family safeguarding. As a qualified social worker, you will champion and develop high‑quality social work practice, drive forward recruitment and retention strategies, and strengthen key partnerships to ensure a cohesive whole‑system approach.

This is a role for a leader who can empower staff, maintain momentum, and embed excellence. You will bring a proven track record of delivering and sustaining high‑quality safeguarding, protection, care and provision for vulnerable children. You will also demonstrate strong experience in ensuring the voices of children, young people and families shape service priorities and delivery.

Swindon is a place where change can happen quickly, and there are exciting opportunities to act up, broaden your influence and make a tangible impact. If you are an inspirational leader with a passion for improving the lives of children and families, we would love to hear from you.

Your Role as Director of Safeguarding and Support: • Provide strategic leadership across early help, front door services, youth and community, and family safeguarding
• Drive practice improvement and champion high‑quality, strengths‑based social work
• Lead recruitment and retention strategy for the service
• Strengthen partnerships across the system to support improved outcomes
• Maintain oversight of performance, quality assurance and service delivery
• Empower and develop senior managers, fostering a culture of ambition and accountability
• Ensure the voice of children and families is central to decision‑making and service design
• Contribute to transformation planning and delivery across the directorate

Your Experience as Director of Safeguarding and Support: • Extensive senior leadership experience in children’s social care within a Local Authority
• Proven track record in improving safeguarding, early help and/or statutory children’s services
• Strong understanding of integrated, whole‑system working
• Demonstrable experience of delivering service transformation and measurable improvement
• Qualified social worker with relevant professional registration
• Ability to lead, inspire and empower teams through change

If you’re interested in discussing this role in more detail—or know someone who may be a great fit—please contact Sarah Macrae or Sarah Williams on 0117 313 7110, or apply today.

(We offer a senior referral scheme upon successful placement of your recommendation.)

Our clients are committed to fostering a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be fully supported throughout the recruitment process.

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