Head of Communities

Job Description

Job Category: Interims
Job location: Civic Campus, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JG, Swindon Borough Council
Hours per week: 37
Start date: Immediate start
Salary: £52.43 per hour
Job Purpose

Working at system level to advise and influence partners, commissioners and senior leaders to shape the

strategic direction of the prevention and early intervention agenda. Leading a team of Service Leads in the

design and delivery of borough-wide services aimed at building community capacity, improving health and

wellbeing and tackling inequality; thereby reducing/delaying demand and cost to public service.

Strategic oversight of a number of integrated community-based services, which include multi-disciplinary and

integrated neighbourhood teams, funded by a range of internal and external sources. Teams include but not

restricted to:

� Community Safety and Community Safety Partnership

� Live Well Service

� Libraries and Information Service

This role will be integral to galvanising and leading a universal contact model and neighbourhood-based offer

which supports people who have the greatest need; providing the right support, in the right place and at the

right time.

This role will work directly with other Heads of Service, to ensure the strategy and delivery maximise

opportunity for collaboration and learning and providing Swindon residents with a joined up prevention and

early intervention service as well as a quality universal offer.

Key Accountabilities

� Set medium to long term priorities for the services; taking account of wider system pressures,

statutory responsibilites and resourcing; horizon scanning and ensuring programmes are effective,

sustainable and meet demand.

� Lead Service Managers to ensure service level business plans are aligned to corporate plans,

translating missions and pledges into tangible action for Managers to take forward.

� Lead service development, design and delivery, ensuring programmes & resources tackle root causes

of demand and health inequalities, focusing particularly in those parts of the Borough where demand

on public services is highest.

� Lead and oversee the management of integrated community services as a key part of a future

integrated model of prevention and engagement for residents; building agile and responsive services

which has a core offer of improving outcomes for residents and families.

� Work with internal and external colleagues to explore and determine best use of local assets in line

with the development and delivery of an integrated community hub model; putting prevention and

early intervention at the heart of neighbourhoods.

� Influence at a senior level (CEO, Director and Head of Service) across the Swindon system; partnering

with health, police, fire, voluntary, parishes, businesses, community and faith sectors for the

betterment of residents.

� Offer expert advice on areas of prevention, health improvement, health promotion, volunteering,

community development and engagement to internal and external stakeholders, Members and

senior leaders.

� Be accountable for adherence to legislation, business continuity, risk management, safeguarding and

quality assurance across the integrated community services business area as well as the broader

corporate areas.

� Build and influence a network of community relationships to define insight & priority and build

community capacity; acting as an expert in this space.

� Manage all service area budgets, maintaining financial balance at all times and reporting against all

service level agreements.

� Develop and deliver Lets Talk Swindon resident and community engagement events; ensuring the

resident voice is at the heart of decision making and local people feel informed and inspired to

participate.

� Liaise with partners, including Parish and Town Councils to ensure effective communication,

collaboration and joint working which ensures the best outcomes for local residents

Supplementary Accountabilities

� Deputise for the Director Communities and Partnerships

� Strategically plan, manage and monitor the use of all resources (financial, human and other) and

make efficiency savings to ensure that the strategy for the directorate is achieved.

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� Contribute at a senior level to system-wide meetings, task forces and development groups

� Initiate proof of concepts/pilots to build evidence and drive innovative activity

� Attend WMT to influence corporate decisions and CMT as requested to act as subject expert

� Horizon scanning; seeking external funding opportunities

� Mitigate costs to public service through innovative approaches and ensuring a balanced budget

Knowledge & Experience

Candidates must have substantial knowledge and experience in the following areas of business and will be

required to provide evidence of this:

� Significant and substantial eexperience of developing synergies and partnerships within the Council

and with external partners

� Significant depth/breadth of management experience and knowledge; delivering outcomes at a

senior level

� Excellent management skills to drive services and ensure the strategic direction of the Council is

affected on a value-added basis

� Strong influencing, problem solving skills with a willingness to take managed risks to achieve

successful outcomes

� Proven experience of working with Members, MPs, Parishes, communities and major stakeholders

and an in-depth understanding of the political and complex environment the council works within

� High levels of competence in inspiring change through strong advocacy and compelling story telling

� Strong and effective negotiation skills to develop and maintain partnerships and collaborations at a

senior leadership level

� Proven knowledge and experience of seeking external funding and creating new opportunities

� Proven experience of managing complex budgets and multi-faceted teams

� Proven success in the delivery of presentations on a national platform

Qualifications

� Qualifications in Communities, Public Health, Community Safety with extensive senior management

experience

� ILM Leadership qualification (or similar) at least Level 5

Decision Making

� Strategic development of the service to align to corporate and system demands

� Accountability for partnership development and viability of projects

� Effective management of resources including financial and people and management of the

departmental budget circa �4m

� Accountability for the shape and structure of the service delivery teams

� Effective delivery of annual saving targets; accountable for decisions about where to invest or reduce

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Creativity and Innovation

� Writing compelling reports and bids to secure new or sustain existing funding

� Strong presentation skills, confident with a wide range of audience from communities to senior

leaders

� Creation of a dynamic and agile workforce structure to meet demand and flex focus accordingly

� Excellent communication skills which speaks to all learning styles/preferences

� Design of new projects and programmes which are innovative and grab the attention of

commissioners, stakeholders and participants

� Creation of a cross- oragnisational culture which puts the resident and community at the heart of

decision making; promoting every contact counts and right thing, right time, right place

� Develop new methods of on-going and productive engagement with local people, community groups

and other stakeholders.