Deputy Head of Service - Family

About The Job

Salary: £60,379 - £63,721 a year pro rata plus £5,000 market supplement allowance and £3,203 car benefit allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type:
Fixed Term until 31st March 2026

Do you have a passion for safeguarding children and empowering families? Luton Council is seeking 2 dynamic and experienced professionals to join our leadership team as a Deputy Head of Service for Family Help
.

In this pivotal role, you will be responsible, as directed by the Head of Service, for shaping and delivering a high-performing, child-centred service that provides early help and protection for vulnerable children and their families across Luton.

This is an exciting time of rapid change and innovation as we enter a test and learn phase aimed at evaluating service impact and enhancing outcomes. You will work closely with teams and the community to ensure quality assurance, respond to concerns, and monitor key performance indicators. Your leadership will directly influence the strategic direction, standards, and culture of our Family Help and Child Protection teams.

• Support the Head of Service in driving service transformation and continuous improvement.
• Champion evidence-based practice and a learning culture to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.
• Play a key role in strategic planning, operational delivery, and community engagement.
• Lead on performance, audit processes, and workforce development to build a skilled, resilient, and sustainable workforce.
• Promote equality, inclusion, and the Council’s commitment to regenerate Luton and improve life chances for all.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

You are an experienced and forward-thinking leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people, and their families. You thrive in a dynamic environment and bring strategic vision, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to high-quality service delivery.

You will have substantial experience of working at a senior level within children’s services, with a strong understanding of the complex needs of children and families in a diverse urban setting. You are confident in leading services through change and are driven by a commitment to continuous improvement and achieving excellence.

• Extensive experience of leading and managing multi-agency services across the public and voluntary sectors, delivering improvements and innovation.
• A proven track record in motivating and performance-managing teams to achieve organisational objectives and positive outcomes for families.
• Strong background in partnership working, with the ability to build trusted, professional relationships with internal teams, partners, and the local community.
• Substantial experience in engaging children and families, increasing their participation in shaping and improving services.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to influence, negotiate, and challenge constructively at all levels.
• Sound financial acumen, with experience in managing large budgets and complex funding streams.
• In-depth knowledge of safeguarding, statutory frameworks, and current policy developments impacting children and young people.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to audit, critique, and improve practice while maintaining focus on outcomes and compliance.

Luton Council has been selected to deliver the government’s Families First for Children Pathfinder programme.

Luton is one of seven new areas in the second wave to be chosen with the aim of protecting vulnerable children from harm and improving services to help more children stay with their families in safe and loving homes.

The programme is an amazing opportunity for Luton to shape future social care practice, which includes closer working relationships with our health, police, education and voluntary sector partners.

Children are at the heart of everything we do in Luton, and we are very proud of the tremendous work that is already taking place together with our partners, including the development of our Family Hubs and working towards making Luton a child-friendly town where our…