Head of Welfare Services

Slough is a dynamic economic hub at the gateway to London and the Thames Valley, with excellent transport links including the Elizabeth line and proximity to Heathrow Airport. We are seeking exceptional finance professionals ready for a challenging, career-defining role. With a new S151 officer and a balanced budget for 2025/26, we are poised for financial resilience and a bright future. Our Finance and Procurement Teams have a robust improvement programme focused on career development. Be part of our critical transformation and thrive in a supportive, demanding environment.

Responsible for: Housing Benefit, Housing Benefit Overpayments, Discretionary Housing Payments, Council Tax Support, Debt & Welfare Advice, Adult Social Care Financial Assessments, Deputyship & Appointeeship, Systems and Controls

Role Overview: We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Welfare Services to join our management team. Reporting to the Director of Revenues and Welfare Services, you will lead a team responsible for various welfare services, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and high-quality service delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee financial responsibilities amounting to approximately £50 million

• Manage housing benefit claims for pension age and temporary accommodation, and council tax support for 6,500 recipients

• Develop and consult on council tax support schemes, working with members and preparing cabinet and council papers

• Lead the Debt and Welfare team in providing comprehensive debt and benefit advice, managing payments from the discretionary housing payments, and the household support funds

• Supervise the Deputyship & Appointeeship team in managing state benefits and wider assets for those unable to manage them themselves

• Ensure quality assurance, training, and development across revenues and welfare services, managing data quality and digital transformation

• Line manage 3 direct reports (Benefits Manager, Debt and Welfare Manager, Systems and Controls Manager) and indirectly oversee a team of 54

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Strong knowledge and experience of delivering and improving housing benefit, discretionary housing payments, council tax support, and debt and welfare services

• Experience in local government environment working across service boundaries and with external partners to support vulnerable residents

• Proven ability to develop and lead multiple teams, providing guidance, support and mentoring

• Proactive, driven, and able to make informed decisions quickly

• Savvy political engagement and communication skills

• Excellent knowledge and experience of using data and insight to focus resources to achieve the best results

• Ability to write and present compelling business cases and proposals

Are you ready to lead and transform Slough's financial landscape? We need resilient, adaptable professionals who can develop sustainable strategies, drive procurement excellence, and support broader economic objectives. If you thrive on complexity and see challenges as opportunities, join us in making a real difference. We offer a genuine career-defining opportunity for those who are prepared to step up, challenge the status quo, and make a real difference. If you are a finance professional who thrives on complexity, sees challenges as opportunities, and wants to be part of a transformative journey, we want to hear from you. Apply now and turn potential into performance.

Closing date: Monday 14 April 2025

For more information please contact Andrew Barton, CIPFA Penna on andrew.barton@penna.com / D +44 (0) 7922 386 432