Corporate Director for Children's Services - Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council

Corporate Director for Children’s Services (DCS)

Salary £170,987

At BCP Council, children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. This is an opportunity to join a council that has made significant progress. In 2025, we achieved a ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement, won the prestigious Municipal Journal (MJ) Local Government Achievement Award for Senior Leadership Team of the Year, and in 2026, secured a C1 rating for our Housing Services, marking significant progress in our improvement journey. We continue to build positively - while remaining ambitious about what comes next.

We are looking for our next Corporate Director of Children’s Services to provide energetic, values-led leadership across education, SEND, children’s social care and commissioning. This is a role for a collaborative and politically astute leader who understands that sustainable improvement comes through strong relationships, collective ownership and genuine corporate working.

At BCP Council, improving outcomes for children and young people is a collective responsibility - embedded across the whole organisation, not held within one directorate alone. As Corporate Director of Children’s Services, you’ll play an integral part in shaping the vision, direction and performance of the entire organisation and delivering the Council’s overall strategy.

You will join an organisation where values genuinely matter and where culture, teamwork and shared accountability sit at the centre of how we lead. We are seeking someone who will bring children and young people’s voices into the heart of the organisation, while working positively across the council, with partners and within a complex political and social care system environment.

There are important priorities ahead: strengthening financial grip, continuing improvement in SEND, responding to rising demand and helping shape the next phase of our organisational journey. You will inherit strong teams who are professionally curious and committed to continuous improvement, allowing you to focus on strategic leadership, visibility, partnership working and organisational influence.

Life at BCP Council offers the chance to combine meaningful leadership with an exceptional quality of life across one of the UK’s most vibrant coastal regions.

If you are ready to help shape the future for children and young people at BCP, we would love to hear from you.

Please click the link below to access the Role Profile

Corporate Director for Children’s Services – Role Profile

For more information, contact our recruitment partners at Penna:

• Nick Raper on 07715 690463 or email: nick.raper@penna.com
• Amin Aziz on 07709 514141 or email: amin.aziz@penna.com
• Kelly Ridley on 07709 512415 or email: kelly.ridley@penna.com

Closing Date: Midnight 28^th June 2026

How to Apply

1. Upload your CV under “Please select one of the options below.”
2. Complete the short mandatory fields on the next page.
3. Use ‘Add Attachments’ to upload your Supporting Statement and any other documents.
4. Please ensure that the file name of your CV and supporting statement includes your full name.
5. Ensure both CV and Supporting Statement are uploaded before submitting your application.
6. If you have a long-term health condition or disability and would like your application to be considered in accordance with a Disability Confident Scheme, please email: execapplications@penna.com to inform the Penna team.