Head of Service – Families First Practice Development Lead
Vacancies
Head of Service – Families First Practice Development Lead
About
The London Borough of Harrow is embarking on an exciting period of change as we deliver a series of ambitious Children’s Reforms Programmes – including Families First, Best Start Family Hubs, Best Start in Life, and SEND Reforms. Together, these programmes will shape the future of support for children, young people and families across the borough.
To strengthen our programme and operational delivery, we are now recruiting for key roles to help ensure children and families remain at the heart of everything we do.
The London Borough of Harrow is seeking a visionary and collaborative Head of Service to lead the Families First & Practice Model development workstream. This senior leadership role sits at the forefront of strategic and operational transformation within Children’s Social Care, Early Help, and Youth Justice.
In this role, you will:
- Drive the design and delivery of the Families First Reforms, ensuring practice is rooted in family-based decision-making.
- Drive the design and implementation of a Practice Model for Harrow’s children, young people & families that delivers the National Social Care Framework outcomes
- Lead the implementation of the four Families First Programme reform pillars:
- Strengthening Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) with a strong education focus
- Establishing integrated Family Help teams
- Developing expert Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT)
- Embedding Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) throughout the child’s journey
- Use insight from children, families, and communities — alongside robust data and national best practice.
- Act as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, overseeing complex risk management, corporate parenting, and multi-agency partnership working.
- Provide strong operational resilience through cross-cover arrangements, ensuring seamless, child-centred service delivery.
We are looking for an experienced leader of practice with a deep commitment to improving outcomes for children, including those with SEND, and a passion for delivering high-quality, multi-agency support. If you are motivated by meaningful change, committed to high standards of practice, and eager to shape the future of Children’s Services in Harrow, we invite you to apply and join us on this transformational journey.
Note: This is a Three-Year Fixed Term Contract
About You
The successful candidate will have the following skills and experience:
- Significant managerial experience in statutory local authority frontline social work services.
- Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and best practices.
- Proven ability to manage complex cases and budgets.
- Excellent partnership working and communication skills.
- Social Work Qualification and HCPC registration.
- Degree level education or equivalent relevant work experience.
- Experience of managing regulatory inspections.
- Ability to work unsocial hours.
- Satisfactory Enhanced DBS.
- Expertise in child protection and safeguarding.
- Ability to lead and motivate teams.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Budget management and financial acumen.
- Excellent report writing and communication skills.