Job Description

Why Work for us:

Are you ready to be the difference? If so, then Southampton Children and Learning Services would like you to join us.

We were inspected in June 2023 and Ofsted said:

All aspects of the service are now at a good level and are continuing to improve.

Staff across children\xe2\x80\x99s services like working in Southampton. They value the fact that they are listened to, and they enjoy the easy access they have to senior leaders. They told inspectors about the way in which leaders celebrate their achievements, as well as holding them to account.

Highly effective recruitment throughout the service has resulted in an almost fully permanent workforce. This means that children are supported by practitioners who have the capacity to visit them regularly and to listen to what they say about their lives.

We are now looking for an experienced child protection conference chair with drive, determination, and extensive knowledge of current social work practice to support our ambition for continuous improvement.

Our child protection work with children is robust and delivered with care. Ofsted found that, \xe2\x80\x98Children in need of help and protection receive a timely and effective service\xe2\x80\xa6Social workers develop child-in-need and child protection plans that set out appropriate actions to help children and to make them safer.\xe2\x80\x99 We are proud to have recently worked with Durham University to pilot Risk Outside the Home conferences for young people affected by contextual safeguarding and in 2024 our child protection chairs will become system leaders when we implement the Family Safeguarding Model.

The successful applicant will have natural leadership skills and the ability to support a culture of innovation, reflection and learning. Skilled and passionate communication is essential as well as an ability to work alongside colleagues from all areas, including social workers, operational managers, senior managers and other multi-disciplinary colleagues.

In return, you will benefit from a leadership team who care about their staff and the children that they work with, a competitive salary, dedicated time for continuous professional development, high quality reflective supervision and an academy that includes an accredited Systemic Practice programme.

If you want to be the best you can be for our children, please come and join us!

We are the difference. Are you?

If you would like to discuss the post further, please contact Karen Cairns, Lead Independent Reviewing Officer (023 8259 0027) or Stuart Webb, Head of Service for Quality Assurance (02380 834102).

Additional information:

• This post requires an Enhanced DBS check.
• For any posts that require a DBS check, if you have lived outside the UK within the last 5 years, you will be required to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct or a police certificate from the country/countries you have resided in. Kindly note that this is at the expense of the candidate, as well as any costs involved for translating into English.
• Please note the salary quoted is based on full time hours (37 hours per week)
• The Working Hours for this role are 37 hours per week.
• Please note all adverts close to applications at 23.55pm on the specified closing date

To be considered for this post please submit an online application through our website: or click on the \'Apply for this job\' button below.

The supporting statement section of the application form must be completed unless there are specific criteria questions for you to evidence against. Applications are shortlisted against the essential and desirable criteria found within the job description for the post. Please refer to the job description when completing your application form and evidence how you meet the required criteria/questions. A CV on its own will not be considered.

Unfortunately we are not able to accept applications that are made through a third party agency. We cannot guarantee that any correspondence sent from third party agencies will be responded to. To ensure your application is received please apply online at

Recruitment contact details:

We are proud to be #DisabilityConfident and support fair recruitment practices. Find out how you can get involved at

As a Corporate Parent we are actively aiming to support all our Looked After Children (LAC) and Care Leavers. Any Applicants who are care leavers or in a LAC position and who meet the essential criteria for the post applied for will be guaranteed an interview.

Job Category

Childrens Social Care

Location

Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY

Head of Service

Quality Assurance

Contract Type

Permanent

Full Time / Part Time

Full time

FTE Salary Min

\xc2\xa352,560

FTE Salary Max

\xc2\xa359,355

Closing Date

10/08/2023

Job Reference

14245

Documents

(Word, 52.09kb)

Southampton City Council