Service Director Children and Families

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Reading

11/05/2026

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Salary

£93,804 – £109,223 per year

Contractual hours

Basis

Full time

Region

Permanent / Full-Time

Job category/type

Children's Services, Managerial

Date posted

13/04/2026

Job reference

DOC0064

Leading High ‑Quality, Child ‑Centred Practice at Scale

Reading is changing, strengthening Children’s Services and embedding consistently strong, child‑centred practice across the whole system. We are on a clear improvement journey and are looking for an experienced, values‑driven senior leader with the credibility, pace and determination to lead some of our most critical frontline services and deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families.

Following the transition of Children’s Services back into the Council in 2025, Reading continues to focus on sustained improvement, stability and long‑term transformation across services for children and families.

We are delivering an ambitious programme of change aligned to national reforms, including our Best Start in Life hubs, the implementation of the Family Safeguarding Model, and a renewed focus on strong corporate parenting, early help and youth justice. This role is central to ensuring that statutory services are not only compliant, but consistently high‑quality, effective and child‑focused.

The Role

As Service Director, Children & Families, you will lead a broad statutory portfolio including family help and specialist services, children’s social care, youth justice and corporate parenting. You will play a pivotal role in driving sustained improvement at pace and ensuring that practice translates into better outcomes for children and families.

You will

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across family help, safeguarding, children in care, leaving care and youth justice services.
• Drive sustained improvement in frontline practice, embedding strong performance management and a learning culture.
• Lead inspection readiness across the portfolio, ensuring learning from inspection and audit activity results in tangible practice improvement.
• Promote and embed a child‑centred approach across policy, practice and service design.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with elected members, schools, health, police, voluntary and community organisations.
• Act as the council’s Agency Decision Maker, ensuring robust decision‑making in relation to fostering, adoption and permanence.
• Manage complex budgets and resources effectively, ensuring value for money and responsible use of public funds.
• Contribute to the strategic leadership of Children’s Services as a member of the senior leadership team, shaping future direction and priorities.

Why Join Us?

We are an ambitious, supportive and highly collaborative senior leadership team, united by a clear focus on improving outcomes for children. We are proud of the progress already made, honest about the challenges ahead, and committed to working together to deliver sustainable change.

We offer:

• A strong organisational commitment to improvement and innovation.
• Visible, supportive and solution‑focused senior leadership.
• A learning culture that values reflection, curiosity and continuous development.
• The opportunity to lead high‑impact statutory services at a pivotal moment of change.
• A genuine chance to make a lasting difference for Reading’s children and families.

If you are an experienced senior leader with the credibility and drive to lead complex statutory services and deliver improvement at scale, we would love to hear from you.

Key Process Dates

Technical Interviews: Week commencing 18th May

Shortlisting: 29th May

Assessment Centre: 4th June

Final Interview: 17th June

How to Apply

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

***email_hidden***

To apply, please send your CV and a supporting statement outlining your suitability to: ***email_hidden***