Director of Children's Services
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Welcome from Chief Executive Jackie Laughton.
Thank you for your interest in working for North Tyneside Council, I am pleased to have the chance to introduce you to the role of Director of Children’s services and to tell you more about our organisation.
North Tyneside Council is a great place to work, and I am proud to lead an organisation that is committed to creating a workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
Our new Council Plan will be built on our ambitions, values and principles which include giving every child in the Borough the best start in life. This role will be integral in achieving this and will lead our approach to giving our children and young people what they need to achieve their full potential.
Addressing inequality is central to our strategy, and we work closely with partners across children’s services to deliver proactive, preventative support that protects our residents from harm.
As Director of Children’s Services, you will lead a passionate and skilled team, driving strategic change with clarity, compassion, and ambition.
Your leadership will be rooted in the needs of our communities, ensuring that children, young people, and families in North Tyneside receive the support they deserve to thrive.
It is an exciting time for North Tyneside, our Elected Mayor has bold plans, which will be built around priorities shaped by the voices of our residents, communities and businesses.
About the role
Director of Children’s Services
North Tyneside Council is committed to delivering outstanding services to people and places across the Borough. We are passionate about creating a Borough that is a great place to live, work and visit, where people are happy, healthy and able to thrive.
This is an exciting opportunity at a unique moment for North Tyneside, with our Elected Mayor looking to launch a new plan for the Borough. We are looking for a visionary and values-driven Director of Children's Services to work with the Elected Mayor, Cabinet and Members. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape and mould an organisation that is changing and evolving. If you are a strategic thinker, who can inspire teams and champion our mission, we would love to hear from you.
As Director of Children’s Services, you will be an inspiring and compassionate leader, committed to improving outcomes for children and families, underpinned by our ambition to be a Borough that gives every young person the best start in life.
You will drive strategic change, foster strong partnerships, and empower teams to deliver high-quality, child-centred services.
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted
We are proud to be rated Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted. - Click here for more information on the report.
Our Director of Children’s services will:
- Provide clear, visible strategic leadership to deliver better outcomes for children and families that will transform North Tyneside, promoting prevention, early intervention and resilience to improve outcomes for residents
- Provide strong, forward thinking, positive management of people and partnerships to deliver improvements to the portfolio of children’s social care, fostering and adoption, early help, youth offending, safeguarding children’s partnership and our Employment and Skills service
- Play an active role as a member of the council’s Senior Leadership Team to provide strategic and professional leadership, contributing to the development and delivery of the North Tyneside Council Plan
What we are looking for:
- Experience and qualification appropriate to the seniority of the role
- Appropriate postgraduate or professional qualification
- Commitment to continuing professional/management development
- Extensive experience in a children’s services senior lead role, with experience of development and implementation of key organisational strategies
- Experience of leading commissioning for children’s services including needs assessment, ensuring quality and value for money from contracts
- Experience of successfully leading complex change and improvement programmes within a public service organisation; engaging and leading at all levels and working collaboratively across the organisation to facilitate new ideas and innovation in relation to delivery of services
Download the Job Pack
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More information
If you would like more information on the role ahead of applying, please contact hollie.sturrock@northtyneside.gov.uk to arrange a conversation.
Assessment information
Applications close 3rd November 2025 at 10:00.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an assessment committee for this role, which will take place on Friday 28th November 2025.
Candidate Support
We want all candidates to be enabled to be their best self in our recruitment process, so if you do need any additional support, please take a look at how we can support you here.
Our values
Our customer promise is based on our values and outlines the standards our customers can expect from us. We are here to serve our residents, businesses and visitors and we strive to deliver excellent customer service to keep North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit.
To learn more about our values, click here.
Equality, diversity and Inclusion
At North Tyneside Council we passionately believe in equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I). We are committed to being an organisation in which fairness and inclusion are central to everything we do.
To learn more about our commitment to ED&I, click here.
Why North Tyneside
North Tyneside is known for its vibrant communities, rich history, and diverse landscapes, making it a unique and dynamic place to live and visit.
Our goal is to foster an environment where everyone feels welcome, safe and valued. Together, we are creating a workplace that's built on our values and a shared commitment to making a real difference to the people of North Tyneside.
To learn more about working for NTC, click here.
