Leading Trafford:
The Experience
Delivering Trafford’s Priorities
Children and young people are at the heart of Trafford’s vision for the borough.
As Corporate Director of Children’s Services, you will lead one of the Council’s most important priorities: ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive and achieve the best possible start in life. With responsibility for education, inclusion, early help, safeguarding and children’s social care, you will champion better outcomes, reduce inequalities and ensure children, young people and families receive the right support at the right time.
Working within the ambitions set out in Trafford’s Corporate Plan, you will help shape a system that is ambitious, inclusive and relentlessly focused on improving life chances for children and young people.
Leading Children’s Services Through the Next Phase of Improvement
This is a defining leadership opportunity.
As Trafford’s statutory Director of Children’s Services, you will provide visible leadership, professional accountability and strategic direction across education and children’s social care. Leading the next phase of Trafford’s improvement journey, you will build on existing strengths, drive sustainable change and ensure children, young people and families experience high-quality services that make a positive difference to their lives.
Working alongside the Chief Executive, elected members, the Corporate Leadership Team and partners across education, health, policing and Greater Manchester, you will be an influential system leader, bringing organisations together around shared priorities and collective responsibility for improving outcomes.
We are looking for an exceptional leader with the credibility, resilience and strategic grip to deliver improvement, inspire confidence and create lasting change for Trafford’s children, young people and families.
EPIC Values
Living and Working in Trafford
Trafford offers the best of both worlds: the scale, connectivity and opportunity of a major city region, alongside excellent schools, vibrant communities, green space and nationally recognised cultural, sporting and heritage assets.
Learn more about living, working and spending time in Trafford through our Explore Trafford webpages.
Why Join Trafford?
This is an opportunity to shape the future of Children’s Services in Trafford and make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families.
You will join a council with a clear ambition for its children and young people, strong political and corporate commitment to improvement, and partners who share a collective responsibility for achieving better outcomes. Building on existing strengths and supported by dedicated colleagues across education, social care and the wider system, you will have the opportunity to lead meaningful change, influence reform and deliver sustainable improvement.
As a member of the Corporate Leadership Team, you will play a key role in shaping the future of the borough, providing strategic leadership across education and children’s social care while working beyond organisational boundaries to strengthen partnerships and improve outcomes for children, young people and families.
For an accomplished children’s services leader, Trafford offers a rare combination of purpose, influence and opportunity: the chance to improve outcomes, strengthen services and leave a lasting legacy for children, young people and families.
Our Commitment to Our People
At Trafford, we are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive and rewarding environment where people can thrive, develop and deliver their best work.
Our wider employment offer is supported by:
- Best Companies One Star recognition
- Real Living Wage accreditation
- Membership of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
- Age Friendly Employer pledge
- Carer Confident employer status
These recognitions reflect our commitment to being a fair, inclusive and supportive employer where people are valued, respected and empowered to succeed.
If you are ready to bring professional authority, strategic judgement and collaborative leadership to a borough with real ambition and opportunity, we would welcome a confidential conversation.
We particularly welcome applications from people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and are committed to building an inclusive leadership team that reflects the communities we serve.