Head of Communities
| Posting date: | 30 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £52.43 per hour |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 29 August 2025 |
| Location: | Swindon, Wiltshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Nations Recruitment |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: |
Summary
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.
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.
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
3
� 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 experience 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
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.
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.
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
3
� 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 experience 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