Service Director – Children’s Social Care and Early Help Salary: up to £115,017 If you’re passionate about creating brighter futures and improving outcomes for children and young people, this is your opportunity to lead lasting change. We have a fantastic opportunity for an innovative and forward-thinking leader to join our team and drive transformation of Children’s Social Care and Early Help Services, working together to secure a better future for children, young people and their families in Gateshead. We’re committed to making Gateshead a place where everyone thrives, and you’ll be joining an organisation who strongly believe that the strength of Gateshead is the people of Gateshead. We have a relentless focus on eliminating inequalities and inequity across the borough and we value our employees, respect their skills and knowledge, and strive to create a friendly and supportive environment for colleagues at all levels which enables them to thrive. This is a great time to be joining us. Our plans are bold, exciting, and focused on creating the best environment for the children and young people of Gateshead to thrive. As our new Service Director for Children’s Social Care, you’ll be joining an authority which has made and continues to make significant progress in improving the services we deliver. In December 2024, Ofsted judged our services to be “Good”, and we are ambitious to build on that success, continually enabling positive outcomes for the children and young people across the borough. You’ll lead a strong and cohesive team, providing leadership across children’s social care and early help, focusing on driving innovation, transformation and continuous improvement. We have an experienced and stable workforce who are passionate and committed to relational approaches to their work with children and families. You will lead and implement our new model of Family Help Services which will bring our services closer to families and communities and build on our existing strong partnerships with schools, the voluntary sector and other key partners. If you bring ambition, innovation and compassion alongside a drive to deliver the very best for children and young people then Gateshead will offer you the environment where you and our young people can thrive. We welcome applications from candidates who have a proven track record of transformational leadership who are currently working in similar roles and are looking for a new challenge as well as those who are looking for their next career step. Crucially, you will be an inspiring and inclusive leader who is able to take people with you on the next phase of our journey. If you share our commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people, apply now and help shape Gateshead’s future! For a confidential discussion please contact Alex Hayes (07586 715 843) or Gary Evans (07809 195 593) of Gatenby Sanderson, or click apply below for further information. Closing date: 12th December 2025