Assistant Director - Children's Transformation and Innovation

Permanent full-time

Salary £95,130 to £101,346 (£103,418 including PRP) per annum

Are you an experienced strategic leader in Children's Social Care? 

We are looking to appoint an outstanding and experienced individual for the Assistant Director of Transformation and Innovation to drive forward and develop Social Care and SEND reform both operationally and strategically.    

Reporting directly to the Director of Children’s Services, we are looking for an experienced senior leader in both Education and Children’s services, who understands how to develop and lead a good children’s service.  This role is focused particularly on the strategic arm of the service and will work alongside the Assistant Director Education and Assistant Director Children and Families to deliver transformation in line with new government requirements regarding SEND and Families First Reform.  

The role will oversee policy guidance and ensure strategic plans align with reforms, supporting Assistant Directors in operational delivery.

As Assistant Director for Transformation and Innovation your attention will be on: 

• Improvement, policy, strategy, governance, partnerships and national legislative changes.

• Line management responsibility for Targeted Early Help, Family Hubs, Youth Offending Service, Commissioning, Children's Residential Homes, Strategy, Transformation and Governance.

• Providing leadership and expertise in ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of children’s safeguarding arrangements within the Council and the wider partnership.

• Providing transformational and strategic leadership as part of the Children’s Directorate Leadership Team (DLT) through the development of robust governance arrangements to support and challenge services.

• Developing strategic plans that will ensure continuous improvement in a context of changing policy legislation and practice.

• Managing and develop the commissioning strategy, and targeted support function for children’s services.

We are looking for an experienced, committed and dedicated leader with a proven track record of improving and/or leading successful children’s services. To be considered for this post, you will need to demonstrate: 

• Relevant degree or membership of an appropriate professional institute with substantial relevant equivalent experience.

• Substantial and proven experience in improving outcomes, with a particular focus on safeguarding outcomes, for children and young people.

• Effective leadership and management experience across a range of services for people and with multiple stakeholders.

• Ability to work effectively within a multiple accountability environment, and particularly a political environment, establishing a positive relationship with partners, Councillors, MPs and Ministers.

• Very strong communication, negotiation and problem-solving skills.

If you have a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes alongside the energy, passion, drive and skills to help deliver better futures for our children and young people of Solihull, then we’d really like to hear from you. 

In return we offer:

• Flexible working, and agile working arrangements.

• Generous annual leave entitlements with the opportunity to buy up to 10-days additional leave per year.

• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme – a 24-hour independent, free and confidential advice and support service.

• Family and carer friendly policies.

• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Employee benefits including staff discounts, subsidised travel passes and Cycle 2 Work Scheme.

We are ambitious in Solihull and are building a stronger Solihull for our children, families and workforce. Connecting Families is the name of Solihull Children’s Services practice framework. At its core Connecting Families demonstrates the beliefs, values and principles of restorative practice and gives us a consistent relationship-based way of practicing to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.  

We believe that families and their connected networks are of primary importance and are the most important influence on improving outcomes for children. We believe that children and their family networks are experts in their own lives and that children and their family networks have strengths, on which they should be empowered to build and draw on through effective family decision making. 

To apply, please click on the link below. If you have a specific question regarding this post, please contact: 

Rasheed Pendry, Director Children's Services - 0121 704 6734 or email rasheed.pendry@solihull.gov.uk 

Closing Date: Sunday 26 April 2026. 

Assessment Centre and Final Interviews will be held on Thursday, 14 May 2026. 

As part of the assessment process, candidates will be required to complete online psychometric assessments prior to being invited to interview. 

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check. 

This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers. 

Solihull Council is proud to be Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.  

Solihull Council has a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, you

Apply today