Job Introduction
This partnership opportunity is open to existing health staff already working within Surrey ICB or a local health provider.
This position has a starting salary of £70,975 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.
This a fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity until 31st March 2027. Part-time hours will also be considered. Due to the partnership nature of this role, a secondment arrangement can be explored if this is supported by your current organisation.
This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of family support and children's safeguarding in Surrey. We're excited to be recruiting a Health Lead to support the implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP). If you're passionate about health, collaboration, and making a real difference in communities, we'd love to hear from you.
The successful candidate will already be operating in a senior health leadership role within Surrey and will be highly knowledgeable about existing safeguarding and child protection partnership arrangements. You will hold a comprehensive view across community health, early intervention, and wider family support pathways.
The team is based at our Woking office, and the role is open to hybrid working. As a team we split our time between collaborating with colleagues in the office and working from home.
Our offer to you
* 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
* Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
* A generous local government salary related pension
* Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
* Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
* An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
* Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
* Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
* A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
About the Role
The Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) is a multi-agency programme focused on early intervention and prevention to improve outcomes for children and families. You can read more about the FFPP programme here.
Working within the Children, Families and Learning Directorate, this role will act as a key liaison for health settings, supporting both safeguarding practice reforms and the development of community-based preventative interventions. Part of this is linking the necessary data across the partnership and overcoming barriers for working together. You will contribute to the strategic aims of the programme, reporting in part to the Families First Partnership (FFP) Board, ensuring alignment with the Council's wider transformation agenda.
This role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and collaborative working to foster a culture of shared accountability across the partnership. The postholder will play an important role in shaping the wider transformation of Children's Services by promoting learning, innovation, and evidence-based practice.
We are seeking someone with established working knowledge of health practice in Surrey, who can act as a credible advocate across a wide range of partners to help drive this transformation.
Key Responsibilities for the Health Lead include:
* Act as a liaison between the ICB and Surrey health providers as well as Public Health and Community services within SCC and social care. This includes developing multi-agency decision making and responses for child protection and prevention needs.
* Be a key lead in the development of the new ways of working.
* Support data flow from health to inform the programme.
* Ensure appropriate services are accessed for reform initiatives.
* Communicate and seek feedback to inform proposed changes and project progress to stakeholders.
* Make decisions on operational service delivery, such as design of new ways of working and structures.
* Support workstreams in reducing inequalities and overcoming systemic challenges.
* The role emphasises co-production and collaboration between services to shape reforms, particularly considering the changes in the wider health systems and opportunities to collaborate with Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.
The Senior Lead will work closely with the Assistant Director for Children's Services innovation and reform FFPP as well as other partner leads and be accountable to Surrey County Council.
Your application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
* Proven track record as a Senior Leader within health settings, demonstrating strategic leadership and operational excellence.
* Extensive experience in the health sector, with a strong focus on cultivating high-performance cultures and driving continuous improvement.
* Demonstrated success in multi-agency collaboration and effective partnership working to support children and families.
* Experience in service design and policy development, with the ability to translate strategic objectives into impactful practice.
* In-depth knowledge of safeguarding and child protection within schools and educational settings, with a clear understanding of statutory responsibilities and best practice.
To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following four questions. You are not requested to submit a supporting letter or statement:
* Using a recent example, demonstrate how you have contributed to or influenced safeguarding or child protection partnership arrangements in Surrey. What impact did your leadership have?
* What is your understanding of the opportunities and challenges for strengthening early intervention and prevention across Surrey's health and family support pathways? How would you use this role to help address them?
* Please provide an example of when you have led or supported a multi‑agency change or transformation initiative.
* How have you used data and evidence to inform service design or policy development in health?
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 8th March with in-person interviews planned for Wednesday 18th March in Woking.
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.
Please contact Adam Thomas by e-mail for an informal discussion.
We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
Local Government Organisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to new unitary councils in April 2027. Your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of these new councils, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council
Our Commitment
We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.
Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.