Director of Family Help and Safeguarding Lead Transformational and Improvement Change for Children’s Services Are you ready to make a meaningful impact on children’s services? Do you have the leadership, vision, and determination to drive sustainable improvement at pace? We are seeking an exceptional Director of Family Help and Safeguarding to lead integrated and responsive services that deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families in Reading. About Us Brighter Futures for Children has provided children’s services in Reading since 2018 as an independent, not-for-profit company. In the autumn of 2025, these services will transition back to the Council, this move strengthens our commitment to delivering high-quality, inclusive, and child-centred services that support children and families at every stage. We are focused on early prevention and timely interventions, ensuring children receive the right support at the right time. Our relationship-based and trauma-informed practice model underpins our approach, promoting stability, safeguarding, and strong outcomes for families. And we are proud of our achievements—including positive inspection results for our children’s homes, fostering services, and support for children in care and care leavers. At the same time, we recognize the need to accelerate improvements for children who require protection and for those at risk of offending. That’s why we are focused on driving change with rigor and pace to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and child-centred services. The Role As our Director of Family Help and Safeguarding, you will: Lead high-quality services, including early help, safeguarding, youth justice, and children in care & leaving care. Ensure services meet statutory requirements and align with national strategic priorities. Drive sustained improvements in practice, responding effectively to inspection findings. Develop a learning culture, where staff are empowered to innovate and refine practice models. Promote performance management, ensuring teams use meaningful data to evaluate impact. Provide strategic leadership, influencing policy direction, service planning, and resource allocation. Develop strong partnerships across education, health, police, and community organisations to deliver collaborative solutions. Lead our response to Government reforms and local implementation of the Families First programme. Why Join Us? This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of children's services in Reading. We are committed to investing in our workforce, fostering a culture of inclusivity, learning, and high practice standards. You will be at the heart of transformation, working alongside a dynamic leadership team that is passionate about delivering meaningful change. If you are inspired by our vision and excited by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful change, we would love to hear from you. How to Apply For an informal discussion about the role, please contact ben.morgan@reading.gov.uk To apply, please email your CV and a supporting statement outlining your suitability for the role to resourcing@reading.gov.uk Join us in shaping a brighter future for Reading’s children and families. Recruitment Timetable Advert close: 30/06/25 Assessment Centre (in person at Reading): 18/07/25 Final Panel (in person at Reading): 25/07/25