About the role

In Cornwall, we put the rights of children and young people at the front and centre of everything we do. As our new Service Director Education and Community Health, you will play an essential part in helping us ensure that every child in Cornwall has the best start in life and an equal chance of a bright future.

Some of the key responsibilities of this role:

• To work closely with the with the Strategic Director for Together for Families (TFF) and with the other Service Directors across TFF, Directorate Business Partners, Council Leadership Team, Members and Partners to set and deliver the Services’ strategy.
• To enable the Council to strategically plan for its health, education and early years services.
• To deliver the Council's statutory obligations for education provision, as set out by the Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care.
• To work closely with key strategic education partners at a local, regional and national level, including local education leadership forums, the Regional Director’s Office, DfE, ESFA, DoHSC, CQC and Ofsted.
• To maintain excellent working relationships  with Cornwall's schools, early years providers and other educational institutions and advocate improved educational attainment and outcomes for children and young people in all communities.
• To be responsible for delivering the national policies and processes set out by the Department for Education to ensure sufficiency of provision to improve outcomes in the early years foundation stage and for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
• To own responsibility for the provision of a range of high-quality services for special educational needs, delivered with an inclusive approach and in partnership with children, young people and their families, educational providers, health commissioners and providers and the voluntary sector.
• To work closely with health providers to ensure improved health outcomes and the best start in life for all children in Cornwall.
• To be responsible for delivering the Council’s statutory obligations to lead the healthy child programme for all families in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, providing health and development reviews, health promotion, health protection and health improvement
• You will also be accountable for a service budget of c. £75m. Including DSG, grants and income generation.

About You

You will need to have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience to be considered for this role, including:

• Relevant degree level qualification or equivalent and evidence of continuous professional development.
• Successful and consistent achievement in the leadership of one or both of the relevant functions at senior management level, within a local authority or other organisation of comparable scope and complexity.
• Ability to articulate a clear vision and strategy for each service and how to improve and transform services, and experience of translating policy and strategy into tangible outcomes for the benefit of children and young people.
• A proven track record of effective partnership working with Children’s Health Services, along with a good understanding of and commitment to delivering integrated services to children, young people and their families.
• A proven record of successful change management, delivering new working policies and practices alongside significant cultural and structural change.
• Proven experience of financial management including budget formulation, financial planning, monitoring and control, within tight financial limits in a complex organisation.
• Demonstrates an up to date knowledge and understanding of the law, government policy and best practice in relation to the functions provided within the service.
• Experience of giving advice to and building relationships with elected members and/or Board Members at the highest level.
• Successful track record of achieving equality of opportunity in both employment and service delivery.

For more information:

Download role profile   

Indicative timetable

Closing date:  Thursday 26 October 2023
Preliminary interviews:  Monday 13 or Tuesday 14 November 2023
Final Interviews:  Wednesday 6 December 2023

Details of the Panel Members and arrangements for interviews will be provided to selected candidates.

CONTACT

For a confidential discussion about the role please contact our retained consultants at Faerfield:

Dawn Faulkner
Tel: 0121 312 3755
Email: dfaulkner@faerfield.co.uk

Sarah Longbottom
Tel: 0121 312 3755
Email: slongbottom@faerfield.co.uk

To apply for this job, please submit your CV, a Supporting Statement (no more than four sides of A4), a completed Candidate Application Form and a completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form to cornwallcc@faerfield.co.uk quoting: ‘Vacancy: Service Director Education and Community Health, Reference: A000421’.

Please carefully review and consider the essential qualifications, knowledge, experience, skills and personal attributes shown in the role profile and person specification.

Your supporting statement should express why you are interested in this role and what experience you can bring to the organisation. The statement should tackle the specific requirements of the role; outlining examples and outcomes showing how you meet those requirements.

Please also provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. If you do not wish us to approach your referees without your prior permission, then you should state this clearly.

If you require either of the below documents in a different format, please contact Faerfield by phone (0121 312 3755) or via email (cornwallcc@faerfield.co.uk)

Download candidate application form  

Download equal opportunities form