Head of Service Children's Services Reform (Principal Social Worker)

Head of Service – Children’s Services Reform (Principal Social Worker)

Children’s Social Care – Lancashire County Council
Salary: £80,401 – £87,928 per annum
Location: Lancashire, Countywide

Help Shape the Future of Children’s Social Care in Lancashire

Are you an experienced senior social work leader with the vision and expertise to drive transformational change across children’s services?

We are looking for an exceptional leader to take on the role of Head of Service – Children’s Services Reform (Principal Social Worker). This is a unique opportunity to lead one of the most significant programmes of change in children’s social care, ensuring Lancashire successfully implements national reforms while improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

You will sit at the heart of that change, translating national reform into something that works in practice for our children, families, practitioners and partners.

This is an opportunity to influence not just how services change, but what the future of children’s social care in Lancashire looks like.

About the Role

As our Head of Service, you will provide strategic leadership for the design and delivery of children’s social care reform across Lancashire. You will translate national legislation, policy and statutory guidance into an effective local strategy, delivery plan and operating model.

Your leadership will span Family Help, multi-agency child protection, family networks, kinship and fostering, care leaver support, workforce development, data and information sharing, bringing together the different elements of reform into one coherent programme.

You will work across Children’s Social Care and with education, health, police, commissioned services and voluntary and community partners, creating shared ownership for change and ensuring reforms become embedded in everyday practice.

A critical part of the role will be establishing strong governance and assurance, keeping complex programmes moving at pace and providing clear advice to senior leaders and elected members on progress, investment, risk and impact.

Alongside your reform responsibilities, you will act as Lancashire’s Principal Social Worker for children and families, providing authoritative professional leadership and ensuring that reform strengthens social work practice rather than simply changing systems and structures.

You’ll also represent Lancashire regionally and nationally, including engagement with the Department for Education, giving you the opportunity to influence wider thinking while bringing learning and best practice back into Lancashire.

About You

You will be an inspirational and credible social work leader with significant senior leadership experience within children’s social care and a proven track record of delivering complex reform or transformation arising from legislation, government policy or statutory change.

You will understand how to take ambitious reform from interpretation and design through to implementation, governance and measurable impact. You’ll be comfortable working across organisational boundaries, influencing at executive level and bringing partners together when success depends on collaboration rather than direct authority.

You will bring expert knowledge of the children’s social care reform agenda, alongside strong understanding of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, Children’s Social Care National Framework, Working Together to Safeguard Children and the wider statutory landscape.

Most importantly, you’ll combine strategic thinking with professional credibility. You will understand what reform means for the social workers delivering services, the families receiving them and, ultimately, the children whose lives we want to improve.

You must hold a recognised Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Work England, alongside substantial relevant continuing professional development and senior leadership experience.

Why Join Us?

A workplace built on trust, balance and flexibility

This is a role with significant responsibility and influence. You’ll be trusted to provide professional leadership, challenge constructively and work across organisational and partnership boundaries to turn ambitious reform into sustainable change.

Development that grows with you

This is a rare opportunity to lead major children’s social care reform across one of England’s largest local authorities. You’ll work directly with senior leaders, elected members and strategic partners while representing Lancashire at regional and national level.

A culture grounded in inclusivity

Our values are Supportive, Innovative, Respectful and Collaborative. We want a leader who can bring people with them and ensure the voices and lived experiences of children, young people, families, carers and practitioners genuinely influence how reform is designed and delivered.

How to Apply

Please use your application to show how you meet the criteria outlined in the Job Description and Person Specification. Attach a supporting statement and resume.

If you are an ambitious social work leader who can turn national reform into meaningful local change, strengthen professional practice and keep children and families at the heart of transformation, we would love to hear from you.

Closing Date: Sunday 6th December 2027
Interviews: TBC

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Job Description and Person Specification