Head of Service

With strong investment, renewed energy and a clear sense of purpose across our services at Cheshire East we are reimagining how to support children and young people and families, “Together for Families”

We have an exiting opportunity for a Head of Service – Locality North, based in Macclesfield. This is community-rooted leadership — place-based, relationship-first, and shaped by one of the most significant reforms in children's social care in a generation – Families First.

About the Role

You will lead the delivery of family help across the full continuum of need — from targeted early support through child in need, child protection, PLO and public law proceedings, and alongside a dedicated court team. Your work will be shaped by Cheshire East's commitment to the Families First vision: keeping children safely with their families and networks wherever possible, and ensuring that when statutory intervention is needed, it is swift, proportionate and grounded in strong relationships.

You'll ensure that children, young people and families are heard, networks are mobilised, and practitioners are skilled and confident in strengths-based, relational work. You'll lead a locality that is deeply community focussed but also connected to the wider system, working with partners in health, education, police, housing, SEND and the voluntary sector.

For children and their families, you'll bring both the technical understanding of their unique needs and the human warmth to ensure they are seen, supported and never overlooked. The role demands someone who can hold strategic vision and frontline urgency at the same time as staying calm in complexity and bold in ambition.

The successful candidate will lead

Families First Reform - Leading the shift to our full locality-based model, early help and family network approaches — translating national reform into confident local practice.

CIN, CP and Public Law - Ensuring statutory work is high quality, timely and legally sound — with strong oversight of PLO, proceedings and permanence planning.

Place-Based Practice - Co-located, community-embedded teams working in family hubs, schools, homes and partner sites across the north locality.

What you’ll bring

• Qualified social worker registered with Social Work England
• Senior leadership experience in CIN/CP, safeguarding or locality work
• Deep knowledge of public law, PLO and permanence planning
• Commitment to restorative, trauma-informed practice
• Strong QA, performance management and improvement track record

To arrange a confidential conversation about this post prior to application, please contact Karen Potts (executive assistant to Dawn Godfrey, Executive Director Children’s Service) on 01270 686275 or ***email_hidden***.

Organisation

Cheshire East Council

Location

Macclesfield

Job Category

Children and Young People Services

Grade

Senior Management (JNC/Chief Officer) - Senior Manager

Salary Min

£76,261

Salary Max

£88,631

Hours per week

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Closing Date

05/06/2026

Ref No

E3576

In return we are able to offer

• Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service
• Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (Pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37-hour standard full-time work week with the added perks of flexi-time and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work-life balance just got a whole lot better
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand-new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’s no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three-year lease
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme - Upgrade your home with ease. Purchase home and electronic items through our salary sacrifice scheme, spreading the cost of big-ticket purchases like appliances, computers, and tech gadgets directly from your salary
• Enhanced public pension - Secure your future with our career average pension, where contributions are built at a rate of 1/49th of your yearly pensionable pay
• Cycle to work scheme - Save up to 25-39% on the retail price of bikes and safety equipment through Income Tax and National Insurance savings. Get fit and save money!
• Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life’s challenges, both at work and in your personal life
• Discounted gym membership - Stay active and healthy with corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure, including:
• Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities
• Off-Peak Racket Sports
• Athletics Tracks
• Sauna/Steam/Spa

Join us and experience a workplace that truly values and supports you!

Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are ‘not protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013) relating to the non-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.