The role

Secondment opportunity: NWADCS & DfE Collaboration - Partnership Programme Director.

The North West have been given DFE Grant to develop a Regional Improvement Plan Pilot (RIPP) as part of the Stable Home Built on Love reform programme. The Regional Improvement Plan has 4 priority work streams:

• Workforce
• Social Work Model
• Placement Sufficiency
• Partnership Working

This role is aligned to the ‘Partnership’ work programme, and will work across the 24 North West local partnership areas to drive improvement to the broader practice system, and to support local safeguarding partnerships to reform to align with the requirements of Working Together 2023, and the new National Framework for Children’s Social Care.

This is a 12 month secondment opportunity.

Reporting to the Chair of NWADCS (DCS Warrington Council), this role will lead and be accountable for a strategic organisational change programme across all statutory and relevant partners outlined in Working Together. The post holder will form part of a virtual team working on the RIPP and will have responsibility for overseeing a programme of change agreed by the NWADCS and DFE as follows:

Partnerships

Revised Working Together Engagement Event:

Bringing together DCS, Chief Executives, Lead Members and Leaders alongside strategic partners in education, police, and health (ICBs) to consider the implications and responsibilities within the new revised Working Together guidance.

Self-assessment:

Collation and assessment across all 24 NW LAs to ascertain maturity of multi-agency arrangements and identification of areas for improvements – to support each area to be ‘ready’ to implement changes required to publish new arrangements by 23 December 2024.

Integrated Care Boards / Police /Education and other ‘relevant’ partners – including agreement of future funding:

Engagement with statutory and relevant partners over effective ways of working, supporting development of a multi agency approach throughout children’s pathways (family hubs through to multi agency child protection teams). The post holder will support local safeguarding partnerships to review and agree future funding arrangements and identification of areas for potential revision/amendment.

Utilisation of existing networks – LSPs, Scrutineers:

Engage the NW LSP Managers network to secure buy-in and resource and explore creation of a NW Scrutineers network/conference.

About you

The Partnership Programme Director will provide vision, strategic leadership and co-ordination of the above large-scale change initiatives to deliver improved outcomes across the system and the North West region as a whole. The post-holder will also be required to accurately quantify the impact of the partnerships workstream and benefits realised in order to help facilitate a DfE-led assessment of the pilot at the end of the funding period.

If you are interested in this role, you must have experience at senior level (ideally AD / DCS), relevant programme/project management qualification or equivalent experience, extensive knowledge and experience of ‘current CSC thinking’. You will have a strong understanding of the policy and practice direction outlined in the various reform programmes, specifically Working Together 2023 and the National Framework for Children’s Social Care. You will also have experience in successfully leading the delivery of business change and improvement across organisational boundaries and within large, complex political environments. You will possess the ability to work effectively with partners across systems and be highly adept at influencing others to deliver outcomes.

Additional information

• Initial secondment for up to 12 months, hosted by the employing local authority.
• This post is grant funded by the DFE as part of the Stable Homes Built on Love reform programme.
• This role is Grade 16, with a salary of £81,095 - £86,744. Where current pay is higher, secondment basis will be on the existing terms and conditions of the seconder, subject to agreement by both employers.
• If you are interested in this post, you are encouraged to discuss it with your current employer prior to application to establish if a secondment is likely to be supported should you be successful.
• For an informal discussion about the role, please email Amanda Perraton or Helen Brackenbury.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a supporting statement (no more than 2 pages of A4) setting out your skills, knowledge and experience for this role, by email, to Amanda Perraton. The job description and person specification is attached.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 23 Febraury 2024.