Director of children's services

Provide strategic leadership of children's services to align with national policies and local authority objectives.

You'll lead, manage and take overall responsibility for the delivery of high-quality social care in their local authority.

Director's of children's services are also referred to as directors of children’s social care.

What you'll do

As a director of children’s services you’ll:

provide strategic leadership of children's services to align with national policies and local authority objectives
oversee the planning, development and delivery of services
define and implement the strategic vision for children's services across a local authority
lead on developing co-operation with external partners including schools, health and police
have oversight of the budget and resources allocated to children's services
ensure services provided by external partners deliver for children and represent value for money
sit on national boards and report to organisations such as the Department for Education
develop and implement policies and initiatives that promote the welfare of children
manage a team of professionals and ensure high standards of practice

The role of director of children's services is subject to Statutory guidance for local authorities with responsibility for education and children’s social services functions. This sets out:

the process for appointing a director of children's services
the role and responsibilities of post holders
what local authorities must do to comply with the law

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

leadership skills to provide strategic direction, motivate teams and manage resources
strategic thinking to analyse complex issues and make informed decisions
in-depth knowledge of legislation, regulations and policies related to children's services and social care
expert knowledge of running a public sector organisation
financial management skills to ensure effective use of resources
communication skills to build relationships and negotiate with external partners
knowledge of safeguarding principles to ensure the well-being of children
the ability to evaluate service performance and implement continuous improvement measures

How to become one

To become a director of children’s services you must:

ideally have a professional qualification such as the Level 7 Diploma in Management and Leadership
have experience leading multidisciplinary teams, implementing strategic plans and driving organisational change
have experience managing budgets and allocating resources

If you’re an assistant director, the Aspirant Director's Programme can help prepare you to progress to a director of children's services role.

Career roles and progression

With experience you could:

move into a senior leadership position in a social work organisation such as chief executive officer or chief operating officer
move into research and teaching

The New Director's Programme can help new directors of children’s services develop their leadership, management and technical skills.

Career opportunities