A Fairer, Better, Greener Swindon

Thank you for your interest in joining us in Swindon.

I joined as Director of Children’s Services in late 2025, and what struck me immediately was the commitment, energy and determination across our workforce and partners to improve outcomes for children and families. This is a council that is honest about its challenges, but equally clear about its ambition and is already making meaningful progress.

Since our Ofsted judgement in July 2023, we’ve been on a focused and determined improvement journey. We’ve had a series of positive monitoring visits, and while we’re proud of the progress made, we’re ambitious for more. For me, this is about delivering sustainable improvement, ensuring that the changes we make now are embedded, consistent and truly felt by children and families over time.

That’s why this role is so important.

As Director of Children’s Social Care (Family Help and Safeguarding), you’ll play a central role in shaping the next phase of our journey. You’ll lead services that sit at the heart of how we support families, driving practice quality, strengthening our Family Help approach, and delivering the Families First reforms in a way that makes a real difference on the ground.

You’ll be joining at a point where the foundations are in place. We’ve invested significantly in early help and prevention, expanded our workforce, and strengthened our partnership arrangements. But we know that sustainable improvement now depends on consistency, confidence and strong leadership at every level.

Personally, I’m committed to creating an environment where you can succeed. My role is to provide clarity and support, working closely with you and the wider team to drive improvement in practice and outcomes. You’ll have the opportunity to shape your own leadership team, influence how services are designed, and play a key role in building a confident, high-performing service.

Just as importantly, you’ll be joining a team of people who care deeply about what they do. There is a real sense of purpose here, and a shared determination to get this right for our children and young people.

Swindon is a place where you can make a tangible difference, and see that difference quickly. If you’re looking for a role where you can lead with purpose, bring fresh energy, and help secure lasting change, I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Kind regards

Brenda McInerney
Director of Children’s Services