Welcome to Leicestershire County Council

Dear Candidate,

Leicestershire is a thriving county, shaped by its people and driven by bold ambitions. In Children and Family Services, our clear vision, ambitions and priorities are set out in our Departmental Plan, recently reviewed and updated to reflect the voices and influence of the children, young people and families we are privileged to work alongside.

As a senior member of the Department, you will provide leadership for the Education, Inclusion and Additional Needs Services, with five Heads of Service and one Strategic Lead reporting to you. You will work closely with the Assistant Director for Targeted Family Help and Children’s Social Care and alongside the Director, provide the ambition, aspiration and drive needed to deliver our plans. As part of the senior leadership team, you will work closely with elected members, officers, and external partners to improve outcomes and achieve impact for children and young people in Leicestershire.

You will be joining a well established and successful leadership team who know ourselves well and are ambitious for the services we deliver and for the children, young people and families we support. We are an Ofsted rated Outstanding service for children’s social care. We are awaiting an inspection for SEND but are proud of the progress we have made in this service area since our last inspection.

With a wide remit and responsibility for managing people and budgets, this is a pivotal role within the Council. We are therefore seeking exceptional individuals who have the energy, skills, and ambition to improve services and develop strong partnerships, whilst encouraging innovation.

You will have a strong track record of success in a relevant service area, but most importantly of all, you will share our passion for working collaboratively and improving outcomes for the children and young people of Leicestershire. Bringing partners together to develop the best outcomes will require demonstration of your excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

You will be made to feel welcome and be well supported and valued as a key member of the team. We are led by a strong set of corporate values with a clear vision and purpose. Our organisation is flexible and agile, and we invest in our people with online access to learning and development resources and internal opportunities to gain new skills and work experience.

If you have the relevant skills, expertise, professional background and qualifications, and most importantly share our ambition and passion for making a difference to the lives of children, young people and families, we would welcome your application and look forward to welcoming you to our team.

We look forward to welcoming you to Leicestershire - it is a wonderful place to live and work.

Sharon Cooke
Interim Director of Children and Family Services