Head of Children in Care Services

Children’s Social Work Matters; Barnsley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in Barnsley is seeking a Head of Children in Care Services to provide strategic leadership across areas such as Fostering and Adoption. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in children's social work, along with excellent leadership capabilities. This role is pivotal for improving outcomes and ensuring high-quality service delivery for children looked after. If you're passionate about supporting children and young people, this is the perfect opportunity to make a significant impact.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in children's social work as a registered social worker.
• Extensive knowledge of children's services and legislative obligations.
• Curiosity and awareness of policy changes.
• Commitment to amplify the voice of the child.
• Visible leadership and governance capabilities.
• Oversight of large budgets and finance management.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Children in Care.
• Drive high performance and continuous improvement.
• Lead corporate parenting duties effectively.
• Build strong alliances with other senior managers.
• Ensure quality service delivery as a Corporate Parent.

Skills

Leadership skills

Stakeholder management

Relationship-based practice

Social work expertise

Education

Degree level education and registration with Social Work England

Job description

Want to find out more about working in Barnsley? Here are some reasons why you'll love it...

Now is the time to come and work for Barnsley Council Children and Young People's Service and be part of the transformational change we are making.

We are an Ofsted rated 'Good' Children's Services with a drive and an ambition to deliver outstanding services in a high performing, supportive environment, emphasizing strategic thinking and effective practice throughout our 'stronger together' practice model.

You would be joining a double award-winning, high‑performing council with a growing economy, a thriving town centre and some truly impressive outcomes in our communities. We have been awarded Council of the Year for 2023 by the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) and The Municipal Journal (MJ). Our excellent Children's Services has been a key part of our win; we're so proud of what we've achieved not just for the council but for our partners and Barnsley.

We're impressed. Are you? It's the perfect time to join our excellent team.

As Head of Children in Care Services, you will provide senior strategic and operational leadership across key areas including Children in Care, Fostering and Adoption, Care Leavers, and Residential. You will have three reporting Service Managers.

As the Head of Service, you will be responsible for driving high performance and continuous improvement. We are looking for an exceptional leader who understands the importance of social work practice and has substantial experience in delivering outstanding services to children and young people.

Your role in our journey

We are seeking a highly ambitious leader who will work collaboratively and strategically to deliver outstanding social work services and outcomes for our Children in Care Service.

In Barnsley we are highly ambitious for our Looked after Children and Care Leavers and so the Head of Service role is pivotal to our role as a Corporate Parent, leading on our corporate parenting duties, delivering on our strategy and ensuring the right support for our Children Looked After and Care Leavers. This will require highly visible leadership within the service and with partners - ensuring that your approach reflects our ambition, compassion and a commitment to improving outcomes.

You will join a skilled, enthusiastic, and dedicated Senior Leadership Team, contributing to a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence as we continue our journey to delivery the highest quality services for our children and young people.

What you'll need

To join us, you'll need be educated to degree level or equivalent plus registration with Social Work England as a social worker.

As the responsible Head of Service, you will have excellent leadership skills, bringing an ability to balance strategic priorities and operational workload. You will maintain high-quality services and recording whilst managing the overall performance of service delivery. Building strong internal alliances with other senior managers across Children's Services will complement and enhance our culture of continuous improvement. This role also has an important external element drawing on your proven skills working with partners across the system. This will draw on your communication skills, stakeholder management and commitment to relationship-based practice.

You will be committed to delivering high performing, high quality services understanding how to motivate your services and providing containment at busy times. You will be passionate about children, young people, their families, and networks, using this to lead and motivate your teams. You will understand how to manage finances effectively, ensuring value for money whilst delivering Services as a Corporate parent.

What you need to succeed

• Significant experience in children's social work as a Social Work England registered social worker.
• Extensive and detailed knowledge of children's services and an understanding of the legislative and statutory obligations relevant to such services.
• A natural professional curiosity, horizon scanning for upcoming legislative or policy change.
• A relentless drive not only to amplify the voice of the child, but to continue to use it in co‑production processes.
• Inspirational, visible, and credible leadership capabilities.
• Experience of good oversight, governance, and administration of large budgets.
• A desire to continuously develop themselves and others with a culture of care.

Please note that interviews for this role will take place on 30th January 2026