Job info	Job info details
Job title	Head of Service Providers
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Business unit	Service Providers
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Divisional Director Learning and Partnerships
Accountable to (line manager)	Divisional Director Learning and Partnerships
Salary grade	O
JE ref	HAY119

1. Key purpose of job

• As a member of the Children’s Service Management Team, be an effective leader who is responsible for strategic leadership of provider services, ensuring improved outcomes for children and young people including those in cared for placements, supported accommodation, accessing family time, disabled children and those requiring home to school transport.
• To be accountable for the performance of a group of services with their enabling resources, delivering outcomes in accordance with relevant strategy and performance indicators.
• Be the local authority lead for embedding the care system reforms detailed in ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ 2024 including data analysis, market shaping/commissioning, recruitment campaigns, and leadership and governance arrangements.
• Responsible for ensuring provider services deliver high quality services and good value for money in line with the Council’s priorities.
• To plan, monitor and control budgets, in compliance with financial regulations, to meet the targets set by the Divisional Director Learning and Partnerships.
• To commission, develop and establish services so that the Service Delivery Plan objectives are fully achieved.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Vulnerable children including those who are cared for or experience SEND have their voices heard and experience improved outcomes by receiving high quality support and services.
• Outcomes for children and young people are improved by the effective use of Quality assurance and performance information and data.
• The Local Authority understands and is able to shape and commission placements that meet the needs of children and supports transparency to the cost of placements across the region.
• Placements for cared for children are a positive experience and gives them the best start in life.
• Eligible children receive Home to School Transport which delivers good value for money and where possible are supported travel independently.

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.
• To ensure that area-based multi-agency governance and commissioning arrangements support the achievement of good outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families within Torbay.
• To ensure that children, young people and their families have a voice and are enabled to make a contribution to the development and delivery of services.
• To create and translate the Council’s vision, mission and values into effective strategy.
• To actively participate in the development and implementation of strategies, policies and practice guidelines for vulnerable groups.
• To balance competing interests and ensure that strategies developed retain the support of major stakeholders.
• To lead integrated working to design and deliver successful, coherent, and cost-effective services.
• To support delivery of key projects within transformation agenda and embed new ways of working.
• To translate political requirements into managerial action through effective working with elected members and other key stakeholders.
• Mobilise effective support for projects from within and outside the organisation.
• To create and lead an accountable performance culture across the service.
• To improve, design and manage key processes to support the achievement of priorities and continuously improve performance.
• To develop the confidence and competence of managers to take prompt action to deal with poor performance.
• To provide clarity of vision and purpose to inspire and enable others to act.
• To plan, manage and improve people resources to enable effective service delivery.
• To model and promote a leadership style which motivates employees, maximises attendance and inspires excellent performance.
• To model and promote good equalities practice and value diversity across the service.
• To build and develop successful partnerships that foster creative thinking and maximise benefit for the service and identify strategic partnership working.
• To make optimal use of available resources in support of policy and strategy.
• To utilise effective risk management processes to ensure delivery of agreed outcomes. 
• To develop and manage a service delivery plan for a range of services for children, young people and their families.
• Deliver the care system reforms detailed in ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ and deliver cost efficiencies and quality assurance across in house and external placements.
• Deliver the Home to School Transport Financial Sustainability Plan.
• Responsible for ensuring services for disabled children are sufficient and meet current need and future demand.
• Oversee the delivery of an effective Information, Advice and Support Service for disabled children and young people, and those with SEN from birth to 25, and their parents.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• Financial management responsibilities, in line with Torbay Financial regulations, for the placements budget IRO £12million. The postholder has delegated authority from the Director Children's Services to agree placement spend outside of Access to Resources panel when required. 
• Provide leadership and direction for budget planning within services to ensure value for money within the service. 
• To monitor the budgetary performance of the service within the Scheme of Delegation, being responsible for ensuring that budget spend is in line and appropriate action is taken to address any pressures.
• To secure resources for the delivery of plans including creating and taking opportunities to gain external funding and make optimal use of available resources in support of policy and strategy. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• To assertively and continually challenge teams and managers to improve performance.
• To establish annual objectives and ensure that these are cascaded to team members. monitoring their performance through the appraisal process.
• To ensure the effective safe recruitment, retention, and training of staff.
• To manage both remotely and face to face, as required.
• To undertake the direct line management and supervision of two Service Managers at M Grade.
• To have overall responsibility for 154 staff across the service including:
  • 2 x Service Managers M Grade. 
  • Lead Auditor Placements K Grade. 
  • Contract Officer. 
  • Contract Support Officer. 
  • Direct Payments Officer. 
  • 3 x Placements Referral Co-ordinator. 
  • Day Care Co-ordinator. 
  • Play Development Worker. 
  • Saturday Club Leader. 
  • Circa 50 x Enablers on varied hours. 
  • 2 x Family Time Co-ordinator. 
  • 8 x Family Support Workers. 
  • School Mini Bus Driver. 
  • Circa 70 x Passenger Assistants on varied hours. 
  • 3 x School Transport Coordination Officers. 
  • 3 x Admissions Officers. 
  • Independent Travel Trainer. 
  • Escort Coordinator. 
  • Sendiass Manager. 
  • 2 x Sendiass Caseworkers. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal Resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External - Department for Education, Regulatory bodies including Ofsted, ICB, CCG, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Service Users, Police, Voluntary Service’s VCSE, Children and Family Health Devon, other Local Authorities, Torbay Safeguarding Children’s Partnership. Regional Care Placement cooperatives. Care placement providers. Home to School transport contractors.
• Internal - Executive members, Other Elected Members, Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive, Directors, Senior Staff across the Council, Trade Unions, Commercial Services, Legal, Human Resources, and other services within Children‘s Services. Employees at all levels across the Council. 

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 Electric House, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• 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	Head of Service Providers
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Business unit	Service Providers

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Successful sustained, and proven leadership and management experience at a senior level in children’s services, including operational, performance, and people management.
• Ability to think strategically and to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries.
• Ability to make strategic decisions in relation to the quality of service.
• Highly developed analytical skills.
• Proven track record in innovation and problem solving.
• Able to communicate effectively with different people in different settings, adapting style to suit the audience and situation. 
• Effective organisational skills, including the ability to plan work programmes which make optimum use of available resources, especially time. 
• Able to work with a range of IT software including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Internet Explorer. 
• Evidence of applying innovative and analytical approaches to solving complex and challenging problems.
• Evidence of effective written, oral and inter-personal skills, including presentation, advocacy, negotiation and consultation skills.
• 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

• Detailed understanding of the function of children’s services including education, social care, and early help.
• Detailed knowledge of legislation, national guidance, and procedures specific to all of children’s services.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of current practice issues in relation to early help, social care, education, and the related interdependencies with partner agencies.
• Knowledge and commitment to anti-discriminatory practices.
• Knowledge and understanding of recent research and best practice in quality assurance.
• An understanding of internal and external resources that can be accessed and deployed to ensure Children’s Services can achieve its organisational objectives.
• An extensive knowledge of commissioning and relevant legislation.
• Knowledge and understanding of how changes in the economic, political, social and organisation climate can impact on the organisation.

Desirable knowledge

N/A

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Substantial experience in working in children services, and a demonstrable experience of delivering creative solutions in complex work with children and their families.
• Substantial experience of effective multi-agency partnership working at a senior level to improve outcomes.
• Experience in the management of people and services.
• Experience of effectively managing budgets.
• Experience of setting and achieving organisation performance and standards.
• Experience of raising practice standards. 
• Experience of developing and using data to secure service improvement.
• Experience in report writing. 
• Experience of leading change.
• Experience of project work.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Previous experience of working in at least one of the following types of organisations:
  • Highly diverse.
  • Service oriented.
  • Multi-Agency.
• Proven competence in the use of at least one of the following management tools:
  • Performance (e.g., Power BI).
  • Quality Assurance. 
  • Business Planning.
  • Risk Assessment, including Health & Safety.
  • Projects (e.g., PRINCE2).

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to degree level standard or equivalent in a relevant subject such as Social Care, Health, Education, Children and Youth Work, Probation or Criminal Justice or significant demonstrable experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Leadership and Management qualification or equivalent or postholder will be required to complete a management qualification within 12 months of appointment. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

N/A

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates 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 unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate on-call working. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional/permanent home-working.