May 7th 2021
Be at the forefront of a new children’s service
Slough Borough Council is recruiting an executive director for people (children) and chief executive of its new, wholly council-owned children’s services company – Slough Children First.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to spearhead a new children’s service that’s driving improvements and giving children the opportunity to choose their own future.
The role will help reinforce the partnership between Slough Children First and the council to provide the best possible services for the town’s children and young people.
As the leader of Slough Children First, you will have the opportunity to work in a less traditional, more forward-thinking and innovative way, where you’ll be expected to think outside the box and work in an agile way to make a positive and lasting difference to children and young people.
You will be at the forefront of this new way of working and will be in charge of driving the company, generating a fresh start, championing the partnership and, most of all, delivering excellent services to those who need it most.
Josie Wragg chief executive Slough Borough Council said the vision at Slough Children First has always been that every child in the town should be safe, secure and successful.
She said the service is constantly working together to improve the lives of children and young people by protecting, supporting and enabling them to thrive.
‘Slough Children First is an exciting place to be and it’s a really exciting job.
‘I have been here for two years and it is one of the most exciting places to work where you have the ability to make a difference.
‘At the end of the day you’ll be able to say to yourself, ‘I made a tangible difference to someone’s life today’.
‘We’re on a journey to improve services to vulnerable children and their families in Slough.
‘We want to be the best and we’re looking for people with the skills, drive, energy and ambition to help us get there.
‘The ideal person is someone who is a natural collaborator, who is emotionally intelligent and doesn’t see institutional boundaries. Someone who has strong ethics and is driven to improve.
‘There’s no typical day in this role. You could be working on government strategy one day and meeting with frontline social workers the next, so it’s important that you are able to move between both positions.’
Slough is one of the most diverse places in the country outside of London and a great place to live or work.
Pleasant environments, above-average salaries and a lower cost of living mean employees enjoy an increased quality of life. It is also one of the most accessible places to be, nestled on the corner of the M25, M4 and M40, and less than 20 minutes by train to Central London.
Josie Wragg said: ‘The opportunity is an open door for someone to come in and carve out their career.
‘The position isn’t only open to people who already live here, it could be a big, exciting move. Slough grips you as soon as you arrive, anyone can make their home here.
‘There’s a lot happening here in terms of our connectivity. It’s just a 15-minute journey into London and we’re right by Heathrow airport, developers and investors are falling over themselves to get a stake in Slough.
‘It’s got the East London feel and we’ve got a diverse, multicultural population. The town has a really hopeful feel, like we’re just on the cusp of something big.’