Location
London Borough of Hounslow

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£68,559 per annum

About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Universal Support Service as Development Lead - Parent and Infant Relationship Service. In this strategic leadership role, you will lead Hounslow's Parent and Infant Relationship Service and team, driving the delivery of evidence-based interventions that promote secure attachment, infant mental health and positive early relationships during the critical first 1,001 days of a child's life. Working across the Best Start in Life programme and Best Start Family Hubs, you will collaborate with health, early years, family support, social care and community partners to develop and embed an integrated approach to supporting families. You will lead service development, quality assurance, workforce development and performance improvement, helping to shape the future of early intervention services in Hounslow. This is an excellent opportunity to influence borough-wide practice, develop innovative approaches and make a lasting difference to babies, young children and their families.

About the Team You’ll Be Working In
The Parent and Infant Relationship Service sits within the Universal Support Service in the Lifelong Learning, Skills & Employment Division. Our vision is to ensure every baby has the best possible start in life by strengthening parent-infant relationships, promoting infant mental health and supporting families during the earliest stages of a child's development. The service plays a key role in delivering Hounslow's Best Start in Life Strategy, working closely with Best Start Family Hubs and a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector partners. As Development Lead, you will report to the Service Manager and provide professional leadership across the borough. You will work alongside colleagues across Children's Services, Public Health, Health Visiting, Midwifery, Early Years, CAMHS, Family Support and community organisations to develop high-quality, integrated services that improve outcomes for children and families. You will also contribute as a member of Hounslow's wider Leadership Team, championing innovation, partnership working and continuous improvement.

About Us at Hounslow
We are an outstanding council serving one of London’s most diverse boroughs. Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be. With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can-do culture, we have built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve our community. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of all our work, best articulated in “Harness the Mix”. We serve a diverse community, have a diverse workforce and are committed to being an inclusive employer. We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, support thriving employee network groups and provide learning and development programmes that promote ways of working to eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias. As a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate candidates.

Experience
- Proven experience leading or developing services that improve outcomes for babies, young children and families
- Strong understanding of infant mental health and parent-infant relationships
- Experience of leading quality improvement, performance management or service development initiatives

About You
- Ability to build positive relationships with professionals across organisations and work confidently in partnership to influence change
- Skilled in analysing information, using evidence to inform decision-making and translating strategy into high-quality service delivery
- Passionate about improving practice and supporting, coaching and developing others
- Committed to delivering inclusive, resident-focused services that reflect Hounslow's values and make a meaningful difference to local communities

Qualifications
Enhanced DBS clearance is essential for this role.