Head of Service – Home to School Transport

Head of Service – Home to School Transport

Interim GBP250 per day

Contract: Up to 24 months

Part Time: 3 days per week due to covid19 homebased

Brighton BN3 3BQ

Do you want to improve lives through helping us to build innovative services that create a thriving and productive county and support for those who need it most?

Our client's mission is to promote and improve our Home to School Transport Service with an unwavering commitment to ensure all children and young people are safe, happy and well on transport.

The Home to School Transport Service contracts with transport providers in and around the City to transport children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities to and from school. Key stakeholders include families, transport providers and schools and colleges.

What is the role?

We are looking for an Interim Strategic Head of Service to provide temporary high–level leadership for a service that has been through extremely challenging times and is on the corporate risk register.

You will:

Ensure the safety of children on a transport service that is recognised to be currently under–resourced and to ensure the build–up of a team that can carry out the required compliance checks that have suffered from insufficient capacity in recent years.
Work with the community to rebuild trust and confidence in families using transport, keeping the needs and interests of the children to the fore.
Manage a significantly overspent demand–led budget under sustained pressure.
Be a part of an exceptional structure designed to provide leadership as the service builds upon and consolidates improvements set out in an action plan; this action plan responds to the recommendations in an independent review of the service published in March 2020.
Take responsibility for the full range of duties at Head of Service level, including working directly and effectively with Members of all parties, deal with press interest and re–build trust and confidence in the community through strong partnership working. Expectation to attend meetings at different venues when required
Work with corporate teams Procurement, Legal, Health and Safety and Finance and to ensure compliance with the Dynamic Purchasing System and contracts.What you will need?

Considerable experience and expertise in the management of challenging situations in local government and public sector.
Understanding of transport providers (private hire/ taxi trade and coach companies) and special educational needs and disabilities. Including empathy with the needs of children, young people and their families and an unwavering commitment to ensure all children and young people are safe, happy and well on transport.
Commitment to co–production of policy and planning with the Parent and Carers' Council.
As services are contracted through a Dynamic Purchasing System, knowledge and understanding of both procurement and contract management would be a distinct advantage.
A strong budget management background and financial acumen.Are you an experienced political operator and have experience of managing and Improving services, change management?

We will need someone experienced in working at a senior level in an operational, complex services environment with a focus on partnership working, market influence and management.

Do you want to shape services to achieve priorities?

Yes! This is a fantastic opportunity to influence the future direction of our service.

What are you waiting for? Apply today!

Guidant is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy