Head of Transformation (Children, Education and Families) OCC615840

Job details

Salary range: £64,419 - £67,663 per annum (Local Government pay award pending, effective from 01.04.24)

Work location: Hybrid with primary location County Hall, Oxford

Hours per week: 37 - we are open to discussions about flexible working  

Contract type: Permanent 

Vetting requirements: This post is politically restricted  

Closing date: Sunday 5th May 2024

Interview date: Week commencing 13th May 2024

What better job motivation could there be than one that makes a difference to a child or young person’s life?

About Children, Education and Families (CEF)

Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which will enable us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice.  We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better.  

Children, Education and Families (CEF) is directorate of dedicated children’s services professionals faced with continuing increases in demand, costs, and complexity of needs across social care and special educational needs and disability (SEND).

In response, our vision and strategy are to transform services to secure even better outcomes for children and young people and improved financial sustainability.

To achieve this, we have a portfolio of service transformation programmes to shape and deliver, which will enable us, amongst other things, to become increasingly focused on early help and intervention, working more effectively with our local area partners.

Our investment in CEF has created several vacancies. We are looking for experienced transformation and change management professionals to join our newly established CEF Transformation Team to shape and deliver programmes of complex change that will make a difference to children, young people, and their parent carers. It’s a really exciting time to join us!

About the role

This is a senior specialist role, responsible for leadership of the newly established CEF Transformation Team and successful delivery of the portfolio of priority programmes, which involve service design and improvement, change management and continuous improvement. As part of this you will:

• Lead and manage the CEF Transformation Team, to design and deliver priority programmes and projects within the directorate’s transformation portfolio, with a relentless focus on improving outcomes for Children and Young People (CYP) and financial sustainability of services.
• Work alongside the directorate’s senior stakeholders to identify priorities and bring shape and structure to the directorate’s transformation plans and delivery.
• Provide expert support advice and guidance to all transformation and change proposals including service transformation, service-led improvement, and business as usual continuous improvement activities.
• To provide a joined up and coherent approach to transformation, one that is aligned to the corporate approach, embeds the council’s values (Delivering the Future Together) and aspiration (Children’s Oxfordshire Way) to develop new ways of working across all service

About you

You will be motivated by making a tangible difference to the lives of children and young people and will have significant experience as a transformation and change management professional, leading and developing teams on programmes of complex people-based change, service design and improvement.

You will need to demonstrate a proven track record of delivering improved and sustainable service user outcomes, operational efficiency, and cost reduction/avoidance.

Experience of working in local government and/or the wider public sector service economy would be desirable, but not essential, as private sector experience will enable us to look at our challenges from another perspective.

Experience of digital service design will be especially useful and desirable, but not essential.

Please click here to View the full Job Description & Selection Criteria.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact - Ian Smart, CEF Programme Director on ian.smart@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Our Rewards and benefits

• Annual leave starting at 30 days per year (plus bank holidays).
• Culture of flexible working 
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support 24 x7.
• Range of family friendly policies.
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Explore more here

Application Procedure

To apply, you will need to complete an online application form. This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the requirements of the job role and selection criteria, as specified in the job description. You should also attach a cover letter and/or CV to your application form.

If you experience any technical difficulties whilst completing the application form, or if you require the application form in an alternative format as part of a reasonable adjustment at this stage of the recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team using Recruitment Application Enquiry Form on the home page.