Head of Stable Loving Homes for Children in Care – Interim

Location: Church Square House, Scunthorpe, DN15 6NL
Pay: £38.99 per hour
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Contract: Interim / Temporary
Start Date: 2 November 2026
End Date: 26 January 2027

We are recruiting on behalf of North Lincolnshire Council for an experienced and highly motivated Head of Stable Loving Homes for Children in Care to join their Children and Families leadership team on an interim basis.

This is an excellent senior leadership opportunity for an experienced social care professional who is passionate about ensuring children in care and care leavers have access to stable, safe and high-quality homes and support.

The Role

You will provide strategic leadership and oversight across key children’s care services, including:

• Fostering services, regulatory standards and compliance
• Adoption and regional adoption arrangements
• Special Guardianship Orders and support
• Children’s homes
• Residential and commissioned placements
• Supported accommodation and accommodation for care leavers
• Placement sufficiency, quality and commissioning
• Corporate Parenting
• Performance, inspection and regulatory assurance

A key element of the position will be acting as the Registered Responsible Individual with Ofsted for Adoption, Fostering and North Lincolnshire Children’s Homes.

You will also act as an Agency Decision Maker in relation to fostering, adoption and children placed with their parents.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of sufficient, high-quality care provision for children in care and care leavers
• Provide strategic leadership across the service
• Ensure statutory and regulatory requirements are met
• Drive continuous improvement and service transformation
• Oversee performance, inspection readiness, risk and quality assurance
• Manage resources, commissioning arrangements, contracts and budgets
• Work collaboratively with partners, senior leaders and key stakeholders
• Champion Corporate Parenting and the voice of children and young people
• Deputise for the Assistant Director of Children’s Standards and Regulation when required

About You

To be considered for this opportunity, you will need:

• Qualified Social Worker status
• Current registration with Social Work England
• Significant senior-level experience within children’s social care
• Extensive knowledge of the needs of vulnerable children and children in care
• Strong understanding of statutory and regulatory requirements within children’s services
• Experience leading and managing services relating to care provision
• Senior-level budget and resource management experience
• Experience in commissioning, service planning and performance management
• Strong leadership and people-management skills
• Experience developing and promoting Corporate Parenting
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills
• Level 5 management qualification, or equivalent knowledge and experience, with willingness to work towards a formal qualification

You will need to be able to travel efficiently throughout North Lincolnshire and out of area when required. Some work outside normal office hours may also be necessary.

Interested?

If you're an experienced senior children's social care professional looking for your next interim leadership opportunity, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today with your up-to-date CV.