Head of Service for Children's Social Care & Safeguarding

Create a Bexley where futures can be outstanding

Bexley is a diverse borough full of opportunities to make a real difference. We have a stable and dedicated leadership team who are committed to providing exceptional children's services for all our residents. We're only the second local authority in the country to have achieved two successive findings of Outstanding under the current Ofsted framework. Whilst we're immensely proud of this achievement, we have a relentless focus on improving outcomes and life chances for our children and young people.

Our Borough is not without its challenges. As a service we have a renewed focus on tackling some particularly complex challenges children face and managing our budgets in the most efficient and impactful way possible for our children and young people. We're home to a global population, made up of many different cultures, heritages and languages. It's a complex, sometimes challenging, but always a rewarding place to work.

This is a crucial appointment within our Children's service. As a qualified social worker, you'll play a leading role in shaping our front door services, driving up both quality and efficiency. A strong team player, you'll be skilled at partnership working, both internally with colleagues and elected members, as well as with our key partners. We're seeking a leader who is strong on practice and has a track record of reducing pressure on statutory services. You'll embrace innovation and be passionate about placing the child at the centre of everything you do.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high performing service in an authority with national links and influence, whilst making your own mark. And, most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to empower our children, young people and their families and change lives.

To find out more and to apply, visit or, for a confidential conversation, call Chris Barrow (), Zarvesha Rasool (), or Anita Denton () at Tile Hill.

Closing date: Sunday 2nd March 2025

To apply:

To apply, please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV (four sides of A4 maximum), along with a supporting statement (four sides of A4 maximum) detailing your experience and achievements, addressing the key criteria for the role set out on this site, and using examples to demonstrate how you meet the requirements. Documents should be uploaded via our website; please include and upload the below information in two documents only. If you experience any issues whilst applying, please contact .

Applications should include:

1. Full contact details;
2. Names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees (we will ask your permission before contacting referees);
3. Details of your current salary and notice period;
4. Notification of any dates when you are not available for an interview.

At Tile Hill, we are committed to inclusion and accessibility. We champion and support all individuals to ensure everyone feels valued, listened to, and motivated to get the very best out of each recruitment process and that processes are designed to meet the needs of individuals. If you have any specific requests and would like a confidential discussion with the Tile Hill team, then please email .