Head of Service Corporate Parenting

Job title: Head of Service Corporate Parenting

Salary: Dir 60% £79,939 - £87,722

Hours: 37 hrs

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds

As our new Head of Service Corporate Parenting, you’ll be ambitious for our Children Looked After, ensuring they get the right support and that the council’s statutory and moral responsibilities are met.

We have an excellent range of our own residential homes and foster carers and this role is an exciting opportunity to help lead the service as it continues to expand, allowing us to bring more children in external residentials into our own provision.

We are committed to the ambition of Child Friendly Leeds. We want Leeds to be a city where all children are safe, happy and healthy, do well at school, fulfil their potential and grow up to be active citizens with voice and influence. Our children’s services have been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted and we are committed to maintaining this high standard.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

• Educated to degree level or higher.
• Diploma in Social Work or equivalent with membership of relevant professional bodies.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills with the ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility with stakeholders locally, regionally and nationally.
• Innovation, drive and a clear passion for improving the lives of the city’s most vulnerable young people.
• Experience of successful leadership and management of complex projects.

The Heads of Service for Corporate Parenting are pivotal to our role as a Corporate Parent, leading on our corporate parenting duties, delivering on our strategy and ensuring the right support for our Children Looked After, meeting our statutory and moral responsibilities.

We are ambitious for our Children Looked After and Care Leavers and have an excellent range of our own residential homes, foster carers, supported accommodation and support services which we are expanding to allow us to bring more children in external residential and IFA care into our own provision.

We have now implemented the first phase of a multi-million pound investment plan to change our offer to young people and improve their experiences. You will have the unique opportunity to shape and guide the services as they change and respond to better meet the needs of our children.

You’ll be closely supported in your role by our Chief Officer Corporate Parenting and a dynamic wider team that shares your commitment to improving the lives and experience of young people in Leeds.

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

For more information or to arrange a discussion about the role, please contact Ben Finley, Chief Officer for Corporate Parenting, on or at

To request a candidate information pack, please contact

Closing date: Friday 27th March 2026 at 11:59pm

Interviews: Friday 6th March 2026

Apply for this job online. Please upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 1000 words addressing the employee specification, evidencing how you meet the criteria.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care…