Head of Service - Fostering and Kinship Care
📍 Devon County Council - Any DCC Office Location (Hybrid)
🕒 Full-Time | 2-3 Days per Week in the Office
💷 £650 per day (Ltd)
📅 Interim/Locum Opportunity
For an informal discussion regarding this job or any opportunities in Social Work - Locum or Permanent, UK wide - please contact Gemma Bridgman at Caritas Recruitment - (phone number removed) g.bridgman @ (url removed)
Devon County Council is seeking a motivated and experienced senior leader to take on the pivotal role of Head of Service for Fostering and Kinship Care. This is a full-time interim opportunity for someone ready to drive improvement and innovation in services for some of Devon's most vulnerable children and young people.
🔹 About the Role:
As the Head of Service, you will lead and oversee Devon's Fostering and Kinship Services, ensuring high-quality support and positive outcomes for children living in alternative family placements. This post plays a key role in integrating fostering and kinship care with frontline Children's Social Care services, contributing to a whole-system approach to safeguarding and permanence.
🔹 Key Responsibilities:
Provide strategic and operational leadership across fostering and kinship services.
Embed a culture focused on stability, safety, and aspirational outcomes for children in care.
Ensure services reflect the lived experiences of children, young people, and their families.
Drive continuous improvement, quality assurance, and performance management.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to deliver integrated, child-centred services.
🔹 About You:
Qualified Social Worker with current SWE registration.
Extensive senior management experience in fostering, kinship care, or wider children's services.
Proven track record of service transformation and leadership during periods of change.
Excellent understanding of relevant legislation, regulatory frameworks, and sector challenges.
Strategic thinker with strong people leadership and partnership-building skills.
🔹 What's on Offer:
£650 per day (Ltd)
Full-time contract (initial term negotiable)
Hybrid working with 2-3 days per week in any DCC office
Opportunity to make a significant impact at a time of transformation in Devon
Supportive, values-driven leadership culture
For an informal discussion regarding this job or any opportunities in Social Work - Locum or Permanent, UK wide - please contact Gemma Bridgman at Caritas Recruitment - (phone number removed) g.bridgman @ (url removed)
Caritas Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy