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Open nowFirst seen 10 hours ago

Children's Social Care Head of Service - Safeguarding

Iworkrecruitment317 open roles

Where
Taunton, United Kingdom
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Your applicationOpen nowChildren's Social Care Head of Service - SafeguardingIworkrecruitment · Taunton, United Kingdom

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The clock on this job

Early applications get read.

13.7% of postings close within 7 days. Measured by our own scanner across the market. Iworkrecruitment postings stay open a median of 12 days.

Share of postings closed within
  1. 2.2%1 day
  2. 4.7%3 days
  3. 13.7%7 days
  4. 22.1%14 days
  5. 37.8%30 days
  6. 59.1%60 days
This job: first seen 10 hours ago

Iworkrecruitment median: 12 days open

The posting

Contract to start ASAP

Duration: 26 weeks with a possible extension.

Full job description

Children's Social Care Head of Service – Safeguarding – Somerset Council

Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Contract: 26-week temporary contract from 1 December 2026 to 31 May 2027

Lead Safeguarding Services and Drive High-Quality Children's Social Care Practice

We're recruiting an experienced Children's Social Care Head of Service – Safeguarding to join Somerset Council, based at The Crescent, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4DY.

This is a senior leadership role responsible for providing strategic and operational oversight across safeguarding services, ensuring children and young people receive safe, effective and high-quality support.

You'll lead senior managers and social care teams, oversee service performance, manage complex safeguarding risks and help drive continuous improvement across children's services.

About the Role

As Head of Service – Safeguarding, you'll provide professional leadership across statutory safeguarding services and ensure practice remains child-focused, timely and compliant with relevant legislation and guidance.

You'll work closely with senior leaders, social work managers, partner agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen practice, improve outcomes and maintain effective governance across the service.

What you'll be doing:

  • Providing strategic and operational leadership across safeguarding services
  • Leading senior managers and multidisciplinary children's social care teams
  • Overseeing complex and high-risk safeguarding casework
  • Ensuring statutory safeguarding duties are delivered effectively
  • Monitoring service performance, quality and outcomes
  • Driving improvements in social work practice and decision-making
  • Providing professional challenge and guidance to managers and practitioners
  • Supporting robust child protection and safeguarding processes
  • Leading quality assurance, audits and practice improvement activity
  • Managing service risks and implementing appropriate mitigation
  • Supporting workforce planning, recruitment and retention
  • Managing budgets, resources and service capacity
  • Ensuring compliance with legislation, statutory guidance and Council procedures
  • Working closely with health, police, education and other safeguarding partners
  • Supporting multi-agency safeguarding arrangements
  • Preparing strategic reports, briefings and performance updates
  • Contributing to inspections and external assurance activity
  • Leading service transformation and improvement programmes
  • Representing the Council at senior partnership meetings and boards
  • Promoting a strong culture of accountability, learning and reflective practice

Requirements

We're looking for a highly experienced senior social care leader with strong safeguarding knowledge and a proven track record of leading complex children's services.

You'll ideally have:

  • A recognised Social Work qualification
  • Current Social Work England registration
  • Significant post-qualifying experience within children's social care
  • Strong senior leadership experience within safeguarding services
  • Experience leading complex statutory social care teams
  • Strong knowledge of child protection legislation and statutory guidance
  • Experience overseeing high-risk and complex safeguarding cases
  • Strong performance management and quality assurance experience
  • Experience leading service improvement and transformation
  • Ability to manage senior managers and multidisciplinary teams
  • Strong understanding of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements
  • Experience working with senior officers, elected members and partner agencies
  • Strong financial and resource management skills
  • Excellent communication and decision-making skills
  • Previous local authority Head of Service experience would be highly desirable
  • Ability to work effectively in a high-pressure interim environment
  • Eligibility to work in the UK
  • Ability to provide relevant references/work history
  • Ability to complete enhanced safeguarding and pre-employment checks

Why Apply

  • Senior safeguarding leadership opportunity with Somerset Council
  • Competitive Umbrella rate of £500.00 per day
  • Full-time 37-hour working week
  • 26-week temporary assignment
  • Opportunity to lead critical statutory children's social care services
  • Chance to influence safeguarding practice and service improvement
  • Work closely with senior leaders and multi-agency partners
  • High-impact role with responsibility for complex service delivery

Benefits

  • Weekly Pay
  • Company Pension
  • Ongoing Agency Support

Additional Information

Client: Somerset Council

Job Title: Children's Social Care Head of Service – Safeguarding

Location: The Crescent, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4DY

Positions Available: 1

Hours: 37 hours per week

Start Date: 1 December 2026

End Date: 31 May 2027

Contract Duration: 26 weeks

Contract Type: Temporary

Pay Rate: Umbrella: £500.00 per day

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract

Pay: £500.00 per day

Benefits:

  • Company pension

Application question(s):

  • Are you a qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration?
  • Do you have significant senior leadership experience within children's safeguarding services?
  • Have you previously led complex statutory children's social care teams?
  • Are you experienced in quality assurance, service improvement and oversight of high-risk safeguarding cases?
  • Have you worked at Head of Service level within a local authority?
  • Are you able to reliably travel to The Crescent, Taunton, TA1 4DY?
  • Are you available to start from 1 December 2026?

Experience:

  • Senior Children's Social Care Leadership: 5 years (required)
  • Safeguarding / Child Protection: 5 years (required)
  • Head of Service / Senior Management: 3 years (preferred)
  • Local Authority Children's Services: 3 years (preferred)

Licence/Certification:

  • Social Work England Registration (required)
  • Recognised Social Work Qualification (required)

Work authorisation:

  • United Kingdom (required)

Disclaimer: On applying for this vacancy, you agree that your personal details will be passed onto our client for their consideration of your suitability for the role. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to notify iWork Recruitment Limited of any hirer who I do not want my details to be passed onto.

OR122149-11-26

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