Programme Manager – Children’s Services ...

Programme Manager – Children’s Services Transformation 📍 South West England | Hybrid Working 💷 £625 PAYE / £826 Umbrella - Per Day 📅 44-Week Interim Contract 🏢 Local Authority We’re supporting a forward-thinking Local Authority in the South West to appoint an experienced Programme Manager to lead a high-profile transformation programme within Children’s Services. This is a key leadership role focused on redesigning services that support vulnerable children and families, helping reduce reliance on residential care while improving outcomes across the system. The successful candidate will lead a complex multi-workstream programme involving fostering, residential care, sufficiency planning, operational transformation, and stakeholder engagement across senior leadership teams. Key Responsibilities * Lead delivery of a large-scale Children’s Services transformation programme * Coordinate multiple interdependent workstreams across social care and commissioning * Drive service redesign initiatives focused on improving outcomes for children and families * Work closely with senior leaders, operational teams, and elected members * Support transformation of fostering and residential care pathways * Ensure programme governance, benefits realisation, and delivery milestones are achieved * Help shape sustainable operating models and long-term service improvements About You We’re looking for an experienced interim leader with: * Strong Programme Management experience within Children’s Services or Children’s Social Care * A track record delivering transformation within Local Government * Experience across fostering, placements, residential care, safeguarding, or permanence services * Excellent stakeholder management skills, including experience engaging with Directors and senior executives * The ability to lead change within complex public sector environments * Strong commercial and financial awareness, ideally including savings or efficiency programmes Additional Information * Hybrid working model – majority office-based presence required * Enhanced DBS required * Inside IR35 * Interviews taking place imminently If you’re an experienced change leader passionate about improving outcomes for children and families, we’d love to hear from you