Blackpool Council - Assistant Director Children's Services Education and Inclusion

Assistant Director Children’s Services Education and Inclusion

Blackpool Council

Salary: £81,700 - £88,600

Blackpool is changing fast, driven by a Council Plan focused on stronger communities and better opportunities for children and young people. With over £2billion invested in regeneration projects to enhance the town and it’s future potential, Blackpool is creating an environment where education, inclusion and lifelong outcomes can genuinely flourish.

About the Role

We are looking for an Assistant Director who can provide clear, confident system leadership, bringing coherence across early years, school improvement, SEND and inclusion, post‑16 pathways, attendance, the Virtual School and safeguarding in education. You will also lead strategic place planning, ensuring mainstream and SEND sufficiency, alongside capital planning and admissions, so the whole education system feels aligned and connected.

You will join a Children’s Services directorate that continues to strengthen, with recent Ofsted findings noting improved practice, strong focus on safety and wellbeing and the embedded impact of our Blackpool Families Rock approach. Relationships with schools, MATs and the Education Improvement Board are positive and constructive, providing a strong platform for joint problem‑solving and shared ambition across the system.

What we need now is a leader who can pull the different parts of the system together with clarity and purpose. You will align sufficiency, SEND strategy and school improvement around a small number of high‑impact priorities, create the conditions for effective partnership working and ensure our education and inclusion offer is joined‑up, consistent and focused on improving outcomes for every child and young person.

About You

You will be an experienced leader with strong credibility across SEND and inclusion, system improvement and strategic planning. You will understand what it means to be a system leader: someone who can see the whole picture, anticipate what is coming, horizon scan with confidence and guide partners through complexity with clarity and purpose. You will influence confidently, maintain trusting partnerships and work constructively with political leaders. You will also model the principles of Blackpool Families Rock, which place relationships, strengths and partnership at the heart of how we think and work. You will bring ambition, clarity and a commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

If you want to make a meaningful impact in a town committed to change, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Closing date: 13:00 on Tuesday 7th of April

For further information, please download a candidate pack here.

For a confidential conversation about this role, please contact our retained consultants at Penna:

Mark Baldwinson - on 07764 698139 or email: mark.baldwinson@penna.com

Amin Aziz – on 07709 514141 or email: amin.aziz@penna.com

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.