In the North East of England and part of the wider Tees Valley region, Darlington is a market town that marries a rich industrial heritage with a modern, vibrant and growing economy. Benefitting from superb transport connectivity, Darlington is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work, a proud and innovative town.

We are an engaging and progressive Council committed to improving outcomes, with a dedicated, supportive and focused children’s team and a high level of corporate understanding and aspirations to improve the lives of children and young people. We have a clear strategy, based on relational and strength-based approaches, that strives to deliver best quality outcomes for children and young people. You will be building on the significant success we have already achieved in our improvement journey and benefit from our stable and progressive local partnerships.

Reporting to the Group Director of People you will have responsibility for the operational management of all children’s services across Darlington and be responsible for continuous service improvements and delivery of financial and performance targets. You will be a key member of the directorate’s senior management team and be expected to support the Director in ensuring the achievement of excellent outcomes for the Council and our children and young people.

We are looking for a highly motivated, qualified and experienced social work professional with excellent strategic vision and substantial experience managing the delivery of children’s services in a complex, comparable environment.

This vacancy has arisen due to the pending retirement of the current post-holder and represents an exciting opportunity for a talented individual with aspirations to become a director, who can demonstrate the ability and personal qualities that are needed to lead our services to the next level.

For an informal and confidential discussion, please contact our consultants at Penna, Nick Raper on 07715690463 or Carol Coyle on 07500 887849.

For more information and to apply please click apply below

Closing date for applications: midnight Sunday 13 June 2021

Long list interviews: 21 and 22 June 2021

Final interviews: 1 and 2 July 2021