Corporate Director for Children's Services

At BCP Council, children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. This is an opportunity to join a council that has made significant progress. In 2025, we achieved a 'Good' Ofsted judgement, won the prestigious Municipal Journal (MJ) Local Government Achievement Award for Senior Leadership Team of the Year, and in 2026, secured a C1 rating for our Housing Services, marking significant progress in our improvement journey. We continue to build positively - while remaining ambitious about what comes next.

We are looking for our next Corporate Director of Children's Services to provide energetic, values-led leadership across education, SEND, children's social care and commissioning. This is a role for a collaborative and politically astute leader who understands that sustainable improvement comes through strong relationships, collective ownership and genuine corporate working.

At BCP Council, improving outcomes for children and young people is a collective responsibility - embedded across the whole organisation, not held within one directorate alone. As Corporate Director of Children's Services, you'll play an integral part in shaping the vision, direction and performance of the entire organisation and delivering the Council's overall strategy.

You will join an organisation where values genuinely matter and where culture, teamwork and shared accountability sit at the centre of how we lead. We are seeking someone who will bring children and young people's voices into the heart of the organisation, while working positively across the council, with partners and within a complex political and social care system environment.

There are important priorities ahead: strengthening financial grip, continuing improvement in SEND, responding to rising demand and helping shape the next phase of our organisational journey. You will inherit strong teams who are professionally curious and committed to continuous improvement, allowing you to focus on strategic leadership, visibility, partnership working and organisational influence.

Life at BCP Council offers the chance to combine meaningful leadership with an exceptional quality of life across one of the UK's most vibrant coastal regions.

If you are ready to help shape the future for children and young people at BCP, we would love to hear from you.

At BCP Council, inclusion is more than a promise - it's how we work.

We're committed to providing a fully inclusive recruitment process ensuring every candidate and colleague has the support and reasonable adjustments they need to thrive.

From the moment you apply, through the recruitment process and throughout your career with us, we'll be here to listen and provide the help and support you need.

It's why we're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer - and why you can trust that we'll always do our best to make your experience positive and accessible.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply or contact us directly - we're here to help. For further information on the accessibility support we can offer please see here: Preparing for your interview | Working for BCP

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, world-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

A Place to Thrive - Join BCP Council

At BCP Council, we're not just building a workforce- we're transforming how we recognise and reward our people.

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at Employee benefits | Working for BCP

Be the difference - Join an organisation that values you, Children's social care

Could you play a part in delivering an outstanding service that improves the lives of the children in our community? If so, BCP Children's Services is looking for you.

To transform and improve our services we are looking for committed and resilient social care professionals who will be fully supported to become the best practitioner that they can whilst developing a meaningful career. We are looking for colleagues to join us who think big, enjoy a challenge and can bring fresh ideas to our services in order to help enhance the lives of our local children in childhood and beyond.

We want the best possible outcomes for children and young people across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Our children's services teams aim to create the right environment for social work to flourish and for our children and young people to achieve their goals and ambitions.

If you're dedicated to making a real difference, have the skills, experience and commitment and if you want to be part of a team where your efforts and contributions will be noticed, we want to hear from you.