Strategic Head of Service
Rochdale Council
- Expired
Strategic Head of Service Children’s Social Care Salary: Up to £64,969 plus £10,000 annual Market Factor Supplement Join Rochdale’s Visionary Leadership Team We are delighted to announce two exciting opportunities to join Rochdale Borough Council as Strategic Heads of Service within Children’s Social Care. These pivotal roles will shape and lead the strategic development and delivery of services that safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people, and their families. Rochdale is nationally recognised for its innovative and impactful work with children and families with OFSTED recognising our ambitions for children and families in Rochdale as part of a recent focus visit. Our strong partnerships and pioneering Family Safeguarding Model place relationships at the heart of our practice. We are proud of our culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Opportunity As Strategic Head of Service, you will work closely with the Assistant Director of Children’s Social Care to ensure the effective delivery of high-quality services. You will lead strategic planning, drive service transformation, and collaborate with key stakeholders to deliver integrated, outcome-focused support for children and families. You will also be a key member of the Children’s Services Senior Management Team, helping to shape services in response to national and local policy developments. We are recruiting for two full-time roles (37 hours per week): Key Responsibilities About You You will be a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England, with a strong track record in senior leadership and management. You will bring: To apply please demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements of the person specification. Please include reference to your qualifications that are specified on the person specification within your application. Please include your post preference. Assessment & Interview Candidates will be required to complete a short assessment exercise on the day of the interview and present to the panel. A young person’s panel will also form part of the selection process. Interviews will take place at Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale, OL16 1XU on Tuesday, 9th December 2025. Why Rochdale? We are proud of our values: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Rochdale Borough Council is part of the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment, recognising continuous service across GM local authorities and partner organisations. We reward you with great benefits: Other benefits Appointment to this post is subject to Enhanced Child workforce DBS and background checks. Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this in your application. Interested? To discuss the roles further, please contact: Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year. Employment could affect your benefits, find out more here. Turn2us Benefits Calculator.
Full-time | 2 Posts Available
Responsible for EHASH, Specialist Services (NEST, Frontline, CWD), and Family Help Teams, supporting the transition to the Family First initiative.
Responsible for Cared for Children Teams, Residential Services, and Fostering Services.
Drive strategic alignment with national policy and local priorities, ensuring services reflect the Council’s vision.
Embed evidence-based, trauma-informed, and relational practice across all services, fostering a culture of high performance and innovation.
Provide visible, motivational leadership that inspires teams and promotes continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
Build a confident, capable, and resilient workforce through ethical leadership, reflective supervision, and professional development.
Contribute to strategic planning and delivery of key service plans, including the Children’s Services Plan
Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion across all services, ensuring timely completion of Equality Impact Assessments and action plans.
Abu Siddique, Assistant Director Children’s Social Care - Abu.Siddique@Rochdale.Gov.UK
↗ Strategic Head of Service JD
↗ Strategic Head of Service PS
Location
Smith Street, , Rochdale, OL16 1XU, United Kingdom
Job ID
2009
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Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
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