Job Description

Job info	Job info details
Job title	Divisional Director - Children Safeguarding
Strategic team/Directorate	Children’s Services
Service	Safeguarding
Business unit	Safeguarding
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Director of Children’s Services
Accountable to (line manager)	Director of Children’s Services
Salary grade	HAY528

1. Key purpose of job

Act as the senior professional on all aspects of children’s safeguarding issues for the Council.
Be responsible for the leadership and operational running of all aspects of the Safeguarding Service in Torbay Council and ensure that statutory functions are effectively discharged and compliant.
To lead and manage policy, procedure and practice to ensure that effective and robust procedures are established and maintained in order that children and young people across Torbay are safeguarding from harm.
To develop and deliver high quality services which are safe, robust and measurable and provide positive outcomes for children, young people and families in Torbay in accordance with agreed procedures and practice.
To promote approaches that support the development of strong and resilient families and communities as the bedrock for securing good outcomes for children and young people and secure their improved well being and enhance their life chances.
To ensure that services provide good value for money and are managed within allocated budgets.
Responsible for the leadership, professional development and setting of performance standards.
To be directly accountable for the provision of high quality statutory services that protect children from abuse, including the following services:
- MASH and Single Assessment
- Safeguarding and Supporting Families
- Specialist Services
- Early Help
- Safeguarding Unit
- Youth Offending and Integrated Youth Support Service and Care Leavers

Strategic responsibilities

To consult as appropriate with the Lead Member for Children’s Services and to provide appropriate and meaningful information to enable Members of the Council to monitor performance against standards, progress and set targets for the future achievement of the Council’s strategic objectives.
To contribute to the service response to the Children’s Services Medium Term Financial Strategy, reshaping services where appropriate to enhance outcomes for children and young people within the agreed financial envelope.
To lead from the Local Authority in the reshaping of future services for children focussing on full service integration with other public bodies and in partnership with evolving resilient communities.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

To ensure that the strategic objectives and priorities for the Council are planned and delivered effectively through:
- Integration with the overall objectives of both the Council and Central Government, including as measured by key national and local performance indicators;
- Planning to succeed through analysis of all relevant information concerning costs, benefits, impact and risks to business unit;
- Translating into successful operational reality by having the right resources in the right place at the right time.
To plan, monitor and control revenue budgets, in compliance with financial regulations.
The service response to the Children’s Services Medium Term Financial Strategy, including the reshaping of services where appropriate that enhance outcomes for children and young people within the agreed financial envelope are achieved.
The reshaping of future services for children focussing on full service integration with other public bodies and in partnership with evolving resilient communities is achieved.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
Safeguard and promote the welfare of child in line with the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, and Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance 2015.
To support the Council’s Senior Leadership Team in promoting the safety and safeguarding of children and young people of Torbay, including safe recruitment practice, as well as deputising for the Director of Children’s Services as and when required.
Design, develop and deliver specified services that particularly focus on:
Providing strategic leadership and management that offers a strong sense of purpose for the services managed, ensures compliance with the relevant statutory and legislative framework, and delivers children, young people and family focused services.
Ensuring that services are designed and delivered with a focus on the whole of the ‘Child’s Journey’.
Being directly accountable for the provision of high quality statutory services that protect children from abuse, including the following services:
- MASH and Single Assessment
- Safeguarding and Supporting Families
- Specialist Services
- Early Help
- Safeguarding Unit
- Youth Offending and Integrated Youth Support Service
Ensuring that incoming work is appropriately assessed, timely decisions are made to safeguard children where required and robust supervision is in place.
Driving the consistent implementation of high quality standards, ensuring benchmarks for service development and customer service have been established and progress against these are effectively monitored.
To contribute fully to partnership working across Torbay developing and maintaining strong and effective links with Health / Police / Voluntary Sector and other agencies to promote safer communities and deliver truly integrated services and good outcomes for children and families.
To ensure the role of Corporate Parents is effectively discharged to Children Looked After and Care Leavers.
Securing appropriate local placements/accommodation for all vulnerable children and young people when required.
Focusing on user needs and actively seeking the views of service users and the community in general to ensure the service meets the needs of the community.
To ensure safeguarding and child protection procedures are consistently and appropriately implemented, developed and maintained so that children and young people’s safety is actively promoted and rigorously pursued.
Ensure key professional decisions are made according to the highest standards, using an evidence base and stand up to scrutiny. Provide appropriate challenge to the decisions of other managers.
To drive the consistent implementation of high quality standards, share good practice and ensure benchmarks for service development and customer service have been established and progress against these are effectively monitored.
Ensure organisational safeguarding strategies and policies reflect statutory requirements and best practice and that they are understood and implemented within area of responsibility
Drive innovation in models of service delivery through leading and developing relevant partnerships between the Council and other public, private and voluntary bodies.
To have budget responsibility and to be accountable to the Director of Children’s Services for its management ensuring that budgets are monitored and controlled through clear service accountability and in line with the priorities agreed by the council and other related partners.
Ensure the preparation of appropriate reports against outcomes and budget.
To deliver cost effective high quality, responsive services within the resources made available and to ensure that all services delivered or procured represent effective value for money.
To develop and implement strategies to contribute to Torbay’s approach to responding to the needs of its deprived communities, including playing a central role in the child poverty strategy.
To lead and manage performance management systems within service areas, reflecting the corporate Torbay Council approach and linking to integrated accountability and governance.
Ensure that the use of systems and operational procedures is efficient, effective and consistent across all the teams for which the post holder is responsible.
Oversee the development of a range of child protection tools e.g. risk assessments, child protection planning and review mechanisms, to ensure good systems are in place, are reviewed regularly and are available for use by other partners.
To lead and advise on strategies for service improvements, within the priorities set by the Children and Young Peoples Plan and the Torbay Safeguarding Children Board ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.
To prepare and participate fully in the inspection framework for children services, and to prepare reports summarizing the outcomes of inspections and the accompanying service reviews and action plans.
Ensure the workforce is a learning organisation, with services evolving in response to lessons learned from local and national activity in the safeguarding arena, enabling and supporting service transformation in line with need and contribute towards appropriate integrated working practices.
As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

To lead of the service response to the five year budget plan, reshaping services where appropriate to enhance outcomes for children and young people within the agreed financial envelope.
To be responsible or influence relevant budgets within the professional function as directed.
To monitor the budgetary performance of the service within the Scheme of Delegation, being responsible for ensuring that budget spend is on line and appropriate action is taken to address any pressures.
To secure resources for the delivery of plans including creating and taking opportunities to gain external funding.
To make optimal use of available resources in support of policy and strategy

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

To undertake the supervision of the Heads of Service within the team and ensure the regular supervision of each team member using identified mechanisms.
To assertively and continually challenge teams and managers to improve performance.
To establish annual objectives and ensure that these are cascaded to team members. monitoring their performance through the Council’s appraisal process.
To ensure the effective safe recruitment, retention and training of staff.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

Normal working environment and conditions

7. Physical demands of the post

Normal physical demands

8. Specific resources used by the post

Laptop, Mobile Phone, iPad or similar

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

Central Government
Other Local Authorities
Other public sector organisations
The Council’s auditors
Private and voluntary organisations and employers

Internal

Executive members
Other Elected Members
Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive
Commissioners
Senior staff across the Council
Trades Unions
Employees at all levels across the Council

10. Other duties

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

N/A

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Divisional Director - Children Safeguarding
Strategic team/Directorate	Children’s Services
Service	Safeguarding
Business unit	Safeguarding

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

Ability to monitor and evaluate services and practices to ensure agreed standards are maintained and intervene constructively where necessary.
Achievement and performance driven.
Excellent analytical and performance management skills;
First class communication, ambassadorial and media management skills – ensuring that the reputation of Torbay Council is promoted at every opportunity.
Proven ability to lead change and to support services during periods of change and development, minimising the impact on outcomes, performance and resources and maximising and sustaining performance improvements to a service.
Ability to inspire the trust and confidence of frontline practitioners and mangers across children’s services – building alliances across the different professions and systematically involving children, young people and families in the development and delivery of services and supports.
Champion the importance of continuing professional development – and role model good practice in this area.
Able to think creatively and develop innovative solutions.
Manage conflicting priorities.
High degree of customer awareness.
Ability to use judgement, tact and sensitivity.
High degree of personal integrity and political awareness and sensitivity.
Able to develop, negotiate and extend challenging outcomes and goals, make complex decisions based on facts and complete tasks to a high standard.
High level of financial acumen and ability to manage budgets and control costs.
Proven effective presentation and report writing skills.
Proven commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.
As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

A good working knowledge of current inspection and assessment framework e.g. Ofsted, Use of Resources, Key Lines of Enquiry.
Detailed knowledge of national safeguarding policy and practice developments and the requirements for their local implementation in the context of the political and operational environment.
Detailed knowledge and understanding of the role of the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
Extensive knowledge of evidenced based effective practice relating to interventions for children and families.
Excellent understanding of how best to achieve the outcomes for children, young people and families – with proven approaches to ensuring the correct attitude and approach is taken.
A high level of knowledge and understanding of confidentiality, data protection and ethics
A good knowledge of performance management and improvement models

Desirable knowledge

Understanding of wider local government issues and the political context and environment in which it operates.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

Extensive case management experience of cases with complex, professional and ethical issues including child protection, court proceedings, case conferences and other formal processes.
Proven experience of developing strategic plans based on needs assessment and delivery of required outcomes.
Experience of developing and implementing new ways of delivering services and innovative working practice to succeed in achieving and maintaining service improvements and achieving best outcomes for children, young people and families.
Experience of successfully planning for and contributing to OFSTED inspection processes.
Successful senior leadership within a safeguarding role in a relevant organisation.
Minimum of three years’ successful senior management experience in children’s social care.
Experience of leading and managing large, complex teams and working within partnership arrangements.
Proven experience of successful project/programme management.
Experience of managing large and complex budgets.
Proven success in contributing to larger “corporate” agendas, ensuring that children’s services informs, and is informed by, the Council’s agreed economic, environmental and social priorities.
Competence and confidence in working with elected members, regulators, field forces.

Desirable experience and achievements

Commercial experience

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

Relevant degree or equivalent experience
Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Work England

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

Project management qualification or equivalent
Higher degree or equivalent in relevant profession
Management qualification

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties
Ability to accommodate unsociable hours
Ability to accommodate occasional home-working