Head of Children's Regulated Services

Head of Children's Regulated Services

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham NG2 3NG

Worker Type: Hybrid role

Salary: GBP70,656 (Level One) to GBP79,167 (Level Four) per annum

Are you ready to lead services that shape brighter futures for Nottingham's children?

Nottingham City Council is looking for an exceptional and values led leader to take on the role of Head of Children's Regulated Services.

This is an opportunity to make a powerful, lasting difference – supporting some of our most vulnerable children and young people and ensuring they have the safety, stability and care they deserve.

This isn't just a management role. It's a chance to lead with purpose, inspire change, and help drive a city wide commitment to improving outcomes and strengthening the lives of children in care.

About the Role

As Head of Children's Regulated Services, you'll lead a diverse and high impact portfolio that includes children's homes, fostering services, corporate parenting, and semi independent provision. You'll ensure high quality, child centred practice across all regulated settings, creating environments where children feel safe, supported and able to thrive.

You will act as the Responsible Individual for fostering and residential care, providing strategic leadership while also ensuring robust operational oversight. You'll drive improvement, strengthen quality assurance, and lead teams through regulatory expectations with confidence and clarity.

Your leadership will play a central role in shaping Nottingham's approach to corporate parenting, amplifying the voice of children and young people, and championing their rights throughout every stage of their journey.

You'll work closely with partners, elected members and senior colleagues to develop placement sufficiency, strengthen commissioning arrangements, and ensure that all regulated services remain safe, compliant and ambitious.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our ambitious transformation agenda. We are progressing the development of our residential estate, expanding and modernising our regulated services to ensure children and young people continue to benefit from high quality, nurturing and safe homes.

This is an exciting period of change, and we're looking for a leader who is energised by innovation and committed to driving forward these initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strong, inspirational leadership across all regulated children's services
• Act as Responsible Individual for fostering and residential provision
• Ensure full compliance with Ofsted requirements and relevant statutory frameworks
• Lead on placement sufficiency, commissioning strategy and quality improvement
• Drive continuous improvement and service innovation
• Promote co production and embed the voice of children and young people
• Strengthen corporate parenting practice across the city
• Manage resources effectively, ensuring value for money and financial sustainability

What You'll Bring

• A Social Work England registration as a qualified social worker
• A relevant management qualification
• Significant leadership experience in complex children's services settings
• A strong track record of delivering high quality regulated services
• Confidence leading and navigating Ofsted regulated environments
• Ability to lead service transformation to deliver modern, high quality homes for children
• Excellent partnership, communication and analytical skills
• A deep commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and corporate parenting
• The ability to inspire teams, build resilience and lead change with purpose

Why Nottingham? Why Now?

Nottingham is a vibrant, diverse and ambitious city committed to delivering the very best for its children and families. We're investing in our services, strengthening our leadership, and driving forward a shared vision for excellence.

You'll join a passionate senior leadership team determined to make a difference – with the support, influence and autonomy to shape services that matter. Your leadership will have impact every single day: in the stability a child experiences, the confidence a young person gains, and the futures we help create together.

We'd love to hear from visionary leaders who are passionate about children's futures and ready to take the next step in their career.