An ambitious local authority in the Midlands is seeking an experienced Interim Principal Service Lead, Provider Services to join its senior Children's Services leadership team.

This is a key leadership opportunity to drive improvement and provide strategic oversight across a range of children's social care services, including fostering, residential care, placements, family time, emotional wellbeing, and services supporting children with disabilities. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in ensuring children and young people receive high-quality support that delivers positive outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across fostering, residential provision, placements, family time, and disability services.
• Lead service improvement programmes, driving performance, quality assurance, and positive outcomes for children and young people.
• Ensure robust safeguarding practice, statutory compliance, and inspection readiness across all areas of responsibility.
• Champion the voice of children and young people, embedding strong corporate parenting principles throughout services.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships across health, education, police, and wider system partners.
• Ensure services deliver value for money while maintaining high standards of care and support.

Candidate Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker with current professional registration.
• Significant senior leadership experience within Children's Social Care.
• Proven track record of delivering service improvement within complex local government environments.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, statutory responsibilities, and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience leading fostering, residential care, placements, family time and/or services for children with disabilities.
• Demonstrable ability to improve performance, quality assurance, and service outcomes.
• Experience preparing services for inspection and achieving positive regulatory outcomes.
• Strong people leadership skills, with experience developing and managing high-performing teams.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Passion for improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.

This role would suit an accomplished Children's Services leader with a strong improvement background who is looking to make a significant impact within a forward-thinking local authority.