Job info	Job info details
Job title	Corporate Parenting Lead
Strategic team/Directorate	Chief Executive
Service	Corporate Parenting Service
Business unit	Corporate Parenting Service
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Chief Executive
Accountable to (line manager)	Chief Executive
Salary grade	N
JE ref	CXS005

1. Key purpose of job

• As the Local Authority Corporate Parenting Lead, you will provide council wide strategic and operational leadership for children in care and care leavers, ensuring the council acts as the best possible parent by promoting their physical, mental, emotional, and educational well-being. Key responsibilities include developing and implementing corporate parenting strategies, fostering collaborative partnerships with other agencies, advocating for children's needs, and creating a whole-council approach to improve their life chances and outcomes. 

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Embedded corporate parenting responsibilities across all departments and council members, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and commitment. 
• Leading cross-departmental strategic initiatives to improve outcomes for cared for and care experienced young people.
• Advising senior leaders and elected members on corporate parenting responsibilities so as to ensure that cared for and care experienced young people:
  • live safely and thrive in secure environments;
  • have the skills and knowledge to live successful, independent lives;
  • live in and contribute positively to stable communities;
  • enjoy excellent health and emotional wellbeing.
• Ensuring that cared for and care experienced young people are engaged in an impactful way in the delivery of the Council’s Corporate Parenting strategy.
• Effective support to the Corporate Parenting Board so as to ensure that it is truly impactful.
• Lead the Council’s approach to delivering a Child Friendly Torbay.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Strategic Leadership: 
  • Lead the delivery of the Corporate Parenting Strategy.
  • Delivery of a Child Friendly Torbay.
  • Ensure alignment with national legislation, statutory guidance, and local priorities.
  • Provide expert advice to senior leaders, elected members, and partners on corporate parenting responsibilities.
• Championing the Voice of Children and Young People: 
  • Promote and embed participation of cared for and care experienced young people in the delivery of the Corporate Parenting Strategy.
  • Ensure feedback from young people informs policy and practice.
• Partnership and Cross-Agency Working: 
  • Coordinate multi-agency efforts to improve outcomes for cared for and care experienced young people. 
  • Build strong relationships with internal departments (e.g., housing, education, health) and external partners (e.g., NHS, police, voluntary sector).
  • Facilitate joint working and shared accountability across services.
• Performance Monitoring and Quality Assurance: 
  • Monitor key performance indicators and outcomes for cared for and care experienced young people. 
  • Lead audits, evaluations, and service reviews to ensure continuous improvement.
  • Prepare and present reports to Corporate Parenting Boards, Scrutiny Committees, and senior leadership.
• Policy and Practice Development: 
  • Lead the development and review of policies and procedures related to corporate parenting.
  • Ensure compliance with statutory duties and promote best practice.
  • Respond to changes in legislation and national guidance.
• Advocacy and Culture Change: 
  • Promote a culture of high aspiration and support for cared for and care experienced young people across the organisation.
  • Ensure all staff understand their role as corporate parents.
• Training and Development: 
  • Identify training needs and deliver or commission training for staff, elected members, and partners.
  • Promote awareness of corporate parenting responsibilities across the workforce.
• Resource Management: 
  • Contribute to budget planning and resource allocation to support corporate parenting priorities.
  • Ensure efficient use of resources to deliver high-quality services.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• The monitoring and management of staffing budgets and revenue budgets. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• To supervise a team of up to 4 staff in accordance with the Council’s Supervision Policy.
• Enable the continuing professional development of staff by ensuring that all team members are given ‘protected time’ to pursue learning opportunities. Through this process ensure that appropriate national professional standards/competencies are being met and monitored.
• Recruit, retain, motivate and appraise team members. Ensure safe recruitment policies are followed.
• Ensure that team members keep a record of their learning.
• Demonstrate leadership competencies, acting with openness, honesty, integrity, instilling a clear sense of direction and purpose, priority and pace. Manage people in an inclusive way to deliver operational objectives.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working environment and conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Use of mobile office technology as part of agile working i.e. laptops, tablets and smart phones. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

• Representing the Council at national and regional meetings with partner agencies and government agencies.
• Responding to Inspections and the cross examination by individual inspectors.
• Presenting information in court.
• Developing and maintaining operationally important relationships with professionals from across the public and voluntary sector.

Internal

• Working with staff at levels within the Council.
• Engaging with Members through formal governance mechanisms.
• Collaboration and project work with other senior managers. Staff working at levels within the Council including dealing with members. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at the Town Hall but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Corporate Parenting Lead
Strategic team/Directorate	Chief Executive
Service	Corporate Parenting Service
Business unit	Corporate Parenting Service

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Ability to work at a senior strategic level, setting high expectations and ensuring improved outcomes are delivered to Cared For and Care experienced children and young people.
• Ability to make strategic decisions in relation to the service.
• Ability to provide expert advice to senior leaders, elected members, and partners on corporate parenting responsibilities.
• Ability to analyse complex information and make strategic recommendations to the Chief Executive and Corporate Parenting Board based on analysis of risk.
• Effective organisational skills, including the ability to plan work programmes which make optimum use of available resources.
• Ability to support and challenge all relevant staff to continuously ensure effective and improved outcomes.
• Working at a strategic level to identify causes and make objective and informed judgements that demonstrate emotional resilience and balance.
• Ability to work effectively with colleagues and partners across agency boundaries.
• The ability to enthuse, motivate and inspire colleagues at all levels, developing effective partnerships.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to implement anti-discriminatory practice and styles in all areas of work.
• Self-awareness and understanding of own strengths and areas for improvement.
• Effective influencing, negotiating and advocacy skills and the ability to deal with conflict.
• Ability to use standard computer applications and a willingness to acquire new skills in a timely fashion.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Significant knowledge and understanding of Corporate Parenting legislation and Local Authority responsibilities.
• Effective knowledge of the processes involved in leading audits, evaluations and service reviews to inform improvements.
• Thorough understanding of DfE guidance and developments in services to children young people and families and how this translates into good practice.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice in relation to securing improved outcomes for Cared For and Care experienced children and young people.
• Ability to demonstrate awareness and understanding of equal opportunities. 
• Awareness of effective management practices.

Desirable knowledge

• A broad knowledge of Children’s Social Care.
• A broad knowledge of the full range of Local Authority functions.
• Knowledge and experience of project management (using recognised methodology) or willingness to acquire such a skill set in timely fashion. 

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Significant successful strategic leadership and management experience.
• Proven experience of performance monitoring and performance management techniques to drive and maintain service improvements.
• Proven experience of building capacity in colleagues through training, awareness raising and mentoring.
• Relevant experience of applying an evidenced informed practice approach.
• Experience of managing or supporting others and assuring compliance to policy and procedures.
• Experience of working to significant deadlines and making robust evidenced informed decisions.
• Experience of managing and controlling delegated budgets.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of working in more than one professional area. 
• Evidence of having delivered improved outcomes and impact for children and young people.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Relevant professional qualification to the equivalent of a degree or equivalent. 
• An additional, relevant professional qualification. 
• Evidence continued professional development. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

N/A

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrate a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.