Head of Service - Caring For Children
Together at Cheshire East we’re building something special, a children’s service that is ambitious, humane and built to last. To realise this ambition, we are seeking exceptional Heads of Service, Senior leaders who want to make a real, lasting difference and help shape the future.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Service – Caring for Children – Regulated Services, based at Delamere House, Crewe. This is where the quality of care becomes tangible — in the homes we run, the foster carers we support, the kinship arrangements we build, and the young people who call these places theirs.
About the Role
You’ll serve as the Responsible Individual across Cheshire East's in\-house fostering, residential homes, supported accommodation, kinship and SGO services — holding personal accountability for regulatory compliance, inspection readiness and safeguarding excellence across every setting. With a large net budget, this is a role of significant scope, financial responsibility and strategic importance.
You'll lead Cheshire East's sufficiency strategy — developing a diverse range of local, high\-quality placement options that reduce reliance on costly out\-of\-area provision and give children the chance to grow up near the people and places they know. You'll strengthen the kinship and SGO offer, roll out the National House Project, and drive the Mockingbird model in fostering — all underpinned by a whole\-service commitment to restorative, therapeutic, relationship\-based care.
In a Families First system, regulated services do not operate in isolation. You'll lean into locality working, support smooth transitions between teams, and ensure that the children in our care experience the same coherent, relational approach whether they are in a foster family, a residential home or supported accommodation. You'll build and sustain a skilled, stable, compassionate residential and fostering workforce because the quality of care depends entirely on the people delivering it.
Responsible Individual \- Personal accountability for all Ofsted\-regulated services, outstanding practice, inspection readiness and statutory compliance.
Sufficiency Strategy \- Building local, diverse placement options, reducing drift and out\-of\-area placements through strategic investment and innovation.
Kinship and SGO \- Strengthening family networks and kinship pathways so more children can remain within their own communities.
National House Project \- Pioneering therapeutic residential models and bringing nationally proven programmes to life in Cheshire East.
The successful candidate will bring
- Qualified social worker registered with Social Work England
- Senior leadership experience across regulated services — fostering, residential, supported accommodation
- Previous experience or strong knowledge of the Responsible Individual role
- Deep knowledge of fostering, residential and supported accommodation regulations
- Track record in sufficiency planning and workforce development
- Commitment to restorative, therapeutic, trauma\-informed care
Organisation
Cheshire East Council
Location
Crewe
Job Category
Children and Young People Services
Grade
Senior Management (JNC/Chief Officer) \- Senior Manager
Salary Min
£76,261 Per Annum
Salary Max
£88,631 Per Annum
Hours per week
37
Weeks per year
52\.143
Employment Type
Permanent
Closing Date05/06/2026
Ref NoE3581
In return we are able to offer:
- Enhanced annual leave \- Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
- Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro\-rata for part\-time staff)
- Flexible working pattern \- Enjoy a 37\-hour standard full\-time work week with the added perks of flexi\-time and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work\-life balance just got a whole lot better
- Salary sacrifice green car scheme \- Drive green and save green! Lease a brand\-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’s no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three\-year lease
- White goods salary sacrifice scheme \- Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big\-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
- Enhanced public pension \- Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
- Cycle to work scheme \- Save up to 25\-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
- Employee assistance programme \- Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
- Discounted gym membership \- Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
+ Off\-Peak Racket Sports
+ Athletics Tracks
+ Sauna/Steam/Spa
Join us and experience a workplace that truly values and supports you!
Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are ‘not protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013\) relating to the non\-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.
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