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Corporate Director of Children, Young People & Education (DCS)

Employer
Croydon London Borough Council
Location
Croydon (City/Town), London (Greater)
Salary
£141,965 - £150,547 pa
Closing date
2 Dec 2021

Inspire Excellence

Croydon is a council on a journey. By accepting and addressing the challenges of its past, the council is transforming itself into a modern, sustainable and resident-focused local authority.

This is an opportunity to be part of a new chapter for Croydon and help shape the future of the council. A council with a passion for driving positive change and delivering excellence; a community with a rich heritage, a diverse population and a distinct identity. It’s an environment in which you can find fresh inspiration and inspire others in equal measure.

Welcome to Croydon Council – and a role that will challenge you and fulfil you like never before. As our Corporate Director of Children, Young People & Education, you’ll help us to protect and inspire our youngest residents by commissioning high quality children’s social care and education services covering everything from child protection and care leavers through to special educational needs and school improvement. You’ll work collaboratively as part of the new corporate team of directors and with our Chief Executive to deliver the Croydon Renewal Improvement Plan, our priorities and ways of working, and a financially sustainable budget by March 2024. 

The impact you’ll have

It will be down to you to lead and manage the directorate to continue the delivery of high quality, children and young people’s social care and education services. Your focus will be on meeting the needs of vulnerable children and young people and those with disabilities as well as promoting aspiration and the achievement of individual potential. Put simply, you’ll help us to make sure the children and young people in Croydon can enjoy a safe and happy childhood and adolescence, with self-reliance and a good quality of life.

There will be difficult decisions to make and tough budgets to deliver. But you’ll relish the chance to apply your ideas and ingenuity to find the best ways forward.

Your specific responsibilities will include:

  • Taking responsibility for the delivery and performance of our children and young people’s social care and education services
  • Engaging with and supporting the strong community of schools in our joint work to develop the potential of all Croydon’s young people, with a particular focus on vulnerable children and their families and meeting our statutory responsibilities for children with special educational needs.
  • Ensuring that the safeguarding of children and young people is a council priority through effective performance monitoring and management within the directorate, and communication and engagement across the council
  • Overseeing the provision of high quality children and young people’s mental health social care services
  • Developing our social care and education policy and strategies for children and young people and providing professional advice to our Leader and Cabinet, our committees and teams across the council
  • Meeting all relevant statutory obligations and driving the continuous improvement of our services, working closely with the Children’s Improvement Board

The skills and experience you’ll bring 

We’re looking for someone who’ll be passionate about and experienced in delivering outstanding Children, Young People & Education services, and shaping the future of our organisation as a whole. An inspiring, engaging and motivational leader who’ll live and breathe our values, you’ll be adept at identifying and developing talent, driving high standards and value for money, and embedding a culture of trust and respect. You’ll empower people within your team to bring new ideas and try new approaches as well inspiring them through your own. You should also be a natural collaborator – someone who can work well with a range of stakeholders, establish productive relationships and see things from different perspectives.

Who we are – and where we’re going

We fully acknowledge the fact that we haven’t got things right in the past and have strengthened our resolve do them better. With a clear financial strategy in place together with an unwavering commitment to listening to our residents and putting them first, this is a reenergised Croydon. A determined Croydon, with a fantastic team of people who care about our community, and how we can support the many different people who live and work here.

We have a vision of what improvement success looks like for us – a future where we have a vibrant local economy, a great team of people, and delivering new ideas that will mean we can be at our best for the communities in Croydon.

How to apply

If you’d like to find out more, please click on the Apply Button below.

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are happy to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and we expect every member of our team to share this commitment.

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