The role

Line Manager and Budgetary Responsibilities:

Direct reports: Assistant Director and Relevant leadership roles, Personal Assistant or equivalent

Budget managed: upto £50million

What you can expect in a Director Health role at Barnardo’s:

You will be a key member of the Corporate Leadership Groups, holding cabinet responsibility as a senior leader to implement our Purpose, Strategy and Theory of change. Ensuring a cultural shift and new ways of working to achieve our strategy, through Integration, Connection, Inclusion and Improvement.

As a member of the UK-wide Children’s Services Leadership Team (CSLT), and design and deliver the Children’s Services plan for Barnardo’s, ensuring the wider management teams are supported in achieving Barnardo’s Purpose and Strategy.

As well as leading Children Services in an assigned delivery area (Health Pillar) you will also be required to hold Lead Director responsibility for a population of children.

As part of our Strategy, you will lead the delivery of Excellent and Inclusive Services. Ensuring local and national services meet the needs of a diverse group of Children, Young People and Families.

You will collaborate with other departments to ensure that the voices and stories of our children and young people inform our service quality, system change in Practice and Policy and assist Barnardo’s to change attitudes to childhood, through our policy and influencing work, fundraising and marketing.

The safeguarding of the children and young people who use our services is paramount and therefore you will ensure that you have complete oversight of your areas of responsibility to ensure that the children and young people using our services are safe through effective practice, supervision, and risk management.

As a leader in Children Services, you will create a One Children Services Culture embedding our new Operating Delivery Model (ODM)and ensuring that all elements of Children Services work together to achieve the Strategy, Theory of Change and the Children Services Plan. Working cross the Charity to achieve best outcomes.

You will work to Barnardo’s behaviours ensuring these are implemented with those you lead. Corporately working to ensure we deliver our People and Culture objective to become an employer of choice.

Key Responsibilities and Activities:

• To work corporately to achieve our Purpose and Strategy as part of the senior leadership team (as above)
• Ensure representation of Children Services by attending meetings with external stakeholders, e.g. Directors of Children services/health, lead council members and commissioners, in order to strategically promote Barnardo’s and grow our work. Attending these meetings in person where relevant. Where relevant this will include devolved administrations and Government departments.
• Lead, manage and develop a senior leadership team of ADCSs (or equivalent) ensuring that clear objectives are set, and they are accountable for the success of the Charity.
• Maintain an oversight of the designated area of work including the 7 populations of Children.
• Be a spokesperson for the work of Barnardo’s at UK level, promoting the work of the Charity and responding to media interest as appropriate.
• Represent the Charity to influence at relevant national and local political levels (In line with our policy and influencing guidance) and other stakeholder organisations to affect the development of policy, strategy and legislation which impacts children and young people.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners, and community stakeholders to influence and shape services.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Actively engage with national and regional networks to share learning and influence policy development.
• Advocacy and Voice of Children Young People (CYP): Ensure the voices of children and young people are central to decision-making and service design in your lead area.
• Ensure we embed best practice models and expertise across Children services for your lead area.
• Have oversight and input into Fundraising, Marketing and brand initiatives relating to your lead area and pillar.
• Create the Business Plan for your pillar with robust market analysis, key outcome and output targets.

• Actively seek and pursue growth in line with strategy and as agreed as part of the Children Services growth plan.
• Commission audit and review services within your areas of responsibility, working with partners in corporate audit & inspection unit (CAIU) and with heads of/ADCS to ensure that services are effectively monitored and developed to ensure consistently high standards of service provision for children and young people in the locality and that learning is shared.
• Scrutinise and analyse external inspection reports to ensure that policy/quality issues and emerging themes are captured and shared with the Children’s Services Leadership Team (CSLT)and colleagues in other functions of the organisation as appropriate.
• Seek opportunities with CSLT colleagues to work across operational boundaries, reconfiguring services where appropriate to ensure the most cost effective, flexible, and adaptive delivery to children and young people.
• Work closely with the children’s services Senior People Business Partners(SPBP) to identify opportunities for the development of colleague’s and people initiatives within children’s services.
• Work with corporate colleagues to identify opportunities to continually develop business focused support services.
• Take responsibility for own operational area ensuring that local management teams are performing effectively and efficiently for the benefit of children, young people and their families, Barnardo’s, and our stakeholders.
• Be aware of developments in the children’s health services.
• Foster positive relationships with colleagues in Business and Development to support the development of service models and growth of services in the key identified strategic areas for Barnardo’s.
• Work closely with Performance, Quality, Impact and Inclusion team and colleagues in other Departments (Digital, Data and Technology, Policy, and Comms) to ensure an outcome focused approach to Barnardo’s work with Children. Implementing any tools to measure outcomes.
• Support the implementation of quality framework and use data and insight to inform quality and impact across Children Services.
• Take an active role in implementing significant organisation change programmes.
• Create and sustain a financial strategy which recognises risks and opportunities of the interaction between voluntary and statutory funds, achieving maximum efficiencies ensuring strong budget management while seeking to maximise income from both streams.
• Ensure that corporate reports are prepared to enable the senior leadership, including trustees, to fulfil its governance responsibilities.

Key activities areas of focus /accountability for Lead Directors (population)

• ensuring we are embedding consistent good practice for this population of Children and young people.
• Represent Children Services at the Thematic group as well as the Health pillar

• Be a member of the Thematic oversight group for your lead population of children contributing Children services knowledge, expertise and insights.
• Chair where relevant Thematic subgroups including task and finish groups reporting into the Thematic group
• Bring insights, actions and decisions back into Children Services from the Thematic oversight group ensuring these are implemented.
• Support and inform best models of practice in Children Services to ensure we are delivering excellent and inclusive services for this population.
• Bring knowledge and expertise to bids and tenders where relevant on this subject area and working with Fundraising, Marketing and brand initiatives ensuring we are embedding our Theory of Change and best practice models as agreed for this population of CYP.
• Work closely with Policy leads on the Theory of Change and keep informed of influencing activity in your lead area
• Children Service lead on integrated campaigns as agreed by ELT.
• Where relevant represent Barnardo’s at meeting, events and conferences – at times on behalf of the CEO and the Executive Team.
• Stay abreast of key policy changes and best practice in this area developing your knowledge and expertise as relevant. implementing, good practice initiatives and development to ensure the business is continually driven forward.
• Have oversight of any signature programmes agreed as part of our strategy.

Thematic (Pillar) Directors are accountable for:

• Service design and delivery models for all services within the Pillar, wherever they operate.
• Operational delivery, performance, quality, outcomes, and workforce standards for Pillar-led services.
• Contract management and delivery accountability for all contracts relating to Pillar-led services.
• National consistency, regulation, safeguarding, and best practice for the service area.
• Sector leadership for the relevant population of children.
• Working with Fundraising, Policy, and Commercial teams on Pillar-led propositions and growth.
• Work closely with the Director of Performance, Quality, Impact and Inclusion ensuring performance and quality standards and process are implemented
• Assess the needs of the Pillar work with corporate colleagues to develop Pillar appropriate policies
• Lead on product development to create effective solutions for service user’s clients which provide quality outcomes

How you’ll work:

• Flexibility in working hours and location, as per contract of employment.
• Able to travel to a number of locations and to attend meetings outside normal working hours.

Who you’ll work with:

Internal:

• Children’s Services Leadership Team (member)
• Executive Leadership Team
• Corporate Leadership Group (member)
• All Corporate Functions
• Board of Trustees/committees/ National Advisory Boards (where relevant)
• Head of Voice and Influence
• AD Special Projects
• Head of Safeguarding
• Audit and Assurance
• Safeguarding Team

External:

• Local and national media
• MSs, MPs, MLA, MSP and local politicians
• Directors of Statutory services, Commissioning bodies
• Government departments
• Voluntary sector partners
• Regulators
• Health Bodies/Commissioners

This Job Description outlines the current responsibilities of the role, which may be adjusted in response to departmental needs. The post-holder may be required to undertake additional duties commensurate with the salary and competency requirements of the role as necessary. Line managers are responsible for performance management, absence management, and any other process captured as a part of our policies.

Please note: Applicants must demonstrate in their application form that they currently use the skills outlined below or have used them previously in employment, education, training, volunteering etc.

Qualifications & Knowledge

• Relevant Health Qualification or substantial leadership experience in the field of Health
• Knowledge and understanding of the children’s services sector including contemporary childcare practices and policy
• Knowledge of legislation relevant to children, young people, and families
• Nationally recognised Professional qualification relevant to childcare services and/ or management qualification

Experience & Skills

• Proven experience as lead Director of Health and Senior operational leadership in a Health setting
• Demonstrable experience in a senior management role within the Children’s Services sector including leading and developing a professional team
• Proven experience of managing complex and/or multi-stream budgets
• Demonstrable success in managing significant change projects
• Proven ability and experience of driving quality developments
• A strong track record of working collaboratively across organisational boundaries, influencing without direct control, and aligning operational, transformation, commercial, and corporate teams around shared priorities. Able to use data to inform to make informed decisions
• Ability to motivate, lead and manage a dispersed team
• Collaborative approach to working to achieve results
• Ability to engage and influence stakeholders
• Ability to represent and promote the interests of Barnardo’s
• Proactive, collaborative, and flexible approach to problem resolution
• Ability to enhance and develop innovation

Our Values & Behaviours

Actively demonstrate Barnardo’s Values & Behaviours, and compliance with our EDI Policy and Code of Conduct in all areas of work:

• Respecting the unique worth of every person
• Encouraging people to fulfil their potential
• Working with hope

• Exercising responsible stewardship

Leadership at Barnardo’s

Being a Barnardo’s leader means embodying our values and behaviours, while creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our Leadership Enablers offer a framework for the behavioural, technical, and inclusive leadership skills we expect our leaders to develop and role model, delivering excellence, fostering a sense of belonging and empowering those around them to do the same.

To deliver excellence as a leader in Barnardo’s, you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to our Behavioural Leadership Enablers and a foundational understanding of the Technical Leadership Enablers. Some roles and/or teams will require specific expertise within one or more of the Technical Leadership Enablers – those relevant to this role have been included within the Qualifications & Knowledge, or the Skills & Experience sections of this document (Person Specification for the role). Our Learning & Development approach means that you will be supported to further enhance your behavioural and technical leadership skills throughout your time as a Barnardo’s leader.

Additional Information for Children’s Services Director Health

• To develop an integrated, high performing senior leadership team for the health pillar to develop and deliver high impact evidence-based focused health services and future facing models and continue the transformation of Barnardo’s as a health and social care organisation.
• To set and monitor our strategic and Pillar Health ambitions and standards across the UK in line with NHS 10 year plan and NHS (and other nation equivalent) requirements, including ensuring appropriate governance arrangements are in place and adhered in line with the Charity Governance.
• To be the Caldicott Guardian for Barnardo’s.
• Focussed development and delivery of the charity’s existing health capabilities in order to meet all NHS regulatory and contractual requirements to enable Barnardo’s to confidently deliver in the health commissioning market on a larger scale as a provider of integrated Health & Social care opportunities.
• Lead the development of Barnardo’s value proposition in response to, Integrated Care Boards and Integrated Commissioning Systems proposals to improve health services to meet the long-term needs of local communities working closely with the PPA, People and Culture, Research, Data and Insight, Fundraising, Brand and Marketing and Retail and Audit & assurance and BDU teams across the Charity.
• Lead, mobilise and embed the Barnardo’s health agenda and strategic objectives to secure Barnardo’s position as a lead provider and partner of choice.
• To work closely with the Director of Performance, Quality, Impact and Inclusion to ensure system and process are developed in line with best practice in health. Attending and chairing relevant groups that drive our health aspiration and best practice forward.
• To advise, support and monitor the current portfolio of health categorised contracts to ensure a high quality of successful outcomes are being delivered.
• Ensure cohesion and collaboration across subject matter leads (internal and external), participants, digital delivery, and key stakeholders, to ensure that the charity maximises opportunities from shared practice and service delivery.
• To develop and lead Barnardo’s approach and innovation in the Children and Adolescence Mental Health Services (CAMHS) commissioning arena through our experience, knowledge, insight, and markets analysis.
• To enhance Barnardo’s broader health portfolio expertise and reputation ensuring credibility, quality, as strength of voice in the influencing arena and to deliver better outcomes to children, young people, and families.
• To provide the strategic vision of the health agenda for Barnardo’s and to inspire and lead the journey of external stakeholders, strategic partners and internal stakeholders and operational staff on the journey to firmly establish Barnardo’s position in this market.
• To manage, lead, develop and further deepen all national strategic health partnerships and relationships with partners such as DHSC, IHE, King’s Fund, HSJ, key professional bodies such as the RCPCH, iHV, and health influencing bodies such as the Health Devolution Commission, the Health Foundation, PPI and VSCE sector partners

• To Chair key external/internal groups as required such as the Child Health Equity Board, the Signature Programme Oversight Group etc. and deputise to chair other groups as required.
• Work in partnership with ICBs, Provider Collaboratives, Local Authorities, secondary and primary care providers and commissioners to build and provide services required, and/or market consultancy support for Health services
• To lead the development of a strategic communications and marketing plan for health in Barnardo’s in conjunction with other Thematic Pillar Directors and be the key health spokesperson for Barnardo’s, proactively