The Head of Department, Social Work provides strategic and operational leadership for the Casework & Counselling, Community & Programmes, and Education & Employment teams, aligning departmental priorities with organisational goals.
This is a primarily managerial role focused on strengthening systems, integrating services, building team capability, and delivering high-quality psychosocial support for children with cancer and their families.
The role embeds a survivorship care approach from diagnosis, adopts a child- and family-centred community lens, and values survivors and caregivers as partners in service design and delivery. While not primarily client-facing, the incumbent brings strong practice experience and remains available to guide teams through complex or crisis situations when needed.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Set priorities and service direction in alignment with the Director of Direct Services and Senior Management Team
• Provide oversight across programmes and ensure strong integration and alignment across teams towards integrated, survivorship-focused medical-social-community care models
• Strengthen early intervention, care continuity, and long-term community reintegration

Team & Capability Building

• Lead and develop team leads through practice standards, and professional competencies
• Guide teams towards excellence in survivorship care through trauma-informed, co-production, and systemic practices
• Lead primarily through management, direction-setting, and culture-building, while remaining available to support teams during complex or crisis situations
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture

Practice & Service Quality

• Provide oversight of complex or high-risk cases and practice frameworks when required, ensuring ethical, child- and family-centred interventions
• Translate frontline insights into continuous service improvement, in collaboration with research team

Partnerships & Systems Integration

• Build and strengthen partnerships within the organisation and with healthcare, schools, and community agencies
• Engage survivors and caregivers as advocates and co-creators
• Represent the department in cross-sector platforms and committees

Operations & Governance

• Oversee service planning, resource allocation and service impact
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, policies, and professional standards

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Requirements

• Degree or postgraduate qualification in Social Work or related field
• 10–15 years of relevant social service experience, including leadership or management responsibility, set direction, and manage services
• Previous practice experience in casework, counselling, or community work
• Strong people leadership and partnership-building skills
• Commitment to survivorship-focused, integrated care, strong in guiding team in service operations

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Personal Attributes

• Grounded in practice, child- and family-centred with a systems perspective
• Values survivors and caregivers as partners
• Collaborative and relationship-oriented, organised, and able to manage complexity, while keeping a focused strategy
• Adaptable, reflective, and solutions-focused with good eye for impactful operations