Oxfordshire County Council

Pause Practice Lead

The closing date is 22 January 2026

Job summary

About the Role As a Pause Practice Lead, you will provide leadership to Pause Oxfordshire to ensure the implementation and delivery of an integrated package of health, therapeutic and social support. Pause is specifically designed to address the complex needs of women, to enable change in their lives and ultimately reduce the numbers of children being removed into care.

Main duties of the job

About the Role As a Pause Practice Lead, you will provide leadership to Pause Oxfordshire to ensure the implementation and delivery of an integrated package of health, therapeutic and social support. Pause is specifically designed to address the complex needs of women, to enable change in their lives and ultimately reduce the numbers of children being removed into care.

About us

About the Role As a Pause Practice Lead, you will provide leadership to Pause Oxfordshire to ensure the implementation and delivery of an integrated package of health, therapeutic and social support. Pause is specifically designed to address the complex needs of women, to enable change in their lives and ultimately reduce the numbers of children being removed into care.

Details

Date posted

02 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£54,495 to £57,864 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

VPE827503E

Job locations

Oxford

OX4 6HT


Job description

Job responsibilities

Are you an ambitious, creative and influential leader who is passionate about reducing the number of children being removed into care by supporting women to bring about change in their lives?

About Pause

Pause works with women who have experienced repeated pregnancies that result in children needing to be removed from their care.

Through an intense programme of support, it aims to break this cycle and give women the opportunity to reflect, tackle destructive patterns of behaviour and to develop new skills and responses that can help them create a more positive future. In doing so, we aim to prevent the damaging consequences of thousands more children being taken into care. For more information about pause please visit www.pause.org.uk

About the Role

As a Pause PracticeLead, you will provide leadership to Pause Oxfordshire to ensure the implementation and delivery of an integrated package of health, therapeutic and socialsupport.Pause is specifically designed to address the complex needs of women, to enable change in their livesand ultimately reduce the numbers of children being removed into care.

About you

You will be an

  • Experienced manager with a relevant professional qualification and/or experience e.g.nursing, social work, mental health, education, criminal justice, youth work, therapeutic practice, counselling, criminal justice or equivalent;

And have

  • Experience of providing case management and supervision to a team working with clients with complex needs;
  • Experience of working with families/individuals who present with a range of complex needs (mental health challenges, drug and alcohol misuse, domestic violence) and demonstrate ability to create rapport and build effective relationships;
  • Knowledge andunderstandingof a range of evidence-based approaches including systemic practice, social learning theory, attachment and loss, relationship and strength-based interventions;
  • You will also need a full driving licence and ability to travel across Oxfordshire

Ourcommitmentto:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitmentto:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfidentemployer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommittedto helping andsupportingthose transitioning from HM ArmedForcesto civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitmentto:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommittedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers tosharethiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitmentto:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Are you an ambitious, creative and influential leader who is passionate about reducing the number of children being removed into care by supporting women to bring about change in their lives?

About Pause

Pause works with women who have experienced repeated pregnancies that result in children needing to be removed from their care.

Through an intense programme of support, it aims to break this cycle and give women the opportunity to reflect, tackle destructive patterns of behaviour and to develop new skills and responses that can help them create a more positive future. In doing so, we aim to prevent the damaging consequences of thousands more children being taken into care. For more information about pause please visit www.pause.org.uk

About the Role

As a Pause PracticeLead, you will provide leadership to Pause Oxfordshire to ensure the implementation and delivery of an integrated package of health, therapeutic and socialsupport.Pause is specifically designed to address the complex needs of women, to enable change in their livesand ultimately reduce the numbers of children being removed into care.

About you

You will be an

  • Experienced manager with a relevant professional qualification and/or experience e.g.nursing, social work, mental health, education, criminal justice, youth work, therapeutic practice, counselling, criminal justice or equivalent;

And have

  • Experience of providing case management and supervision to a team working with clients with complex needs;
  • Experience of working with families/individuals who present with a range of complex needs (mental health challenges, drug and alcohol misuse, domestic violence) and demonstrate ability to create rapport and build effective relationships;
  • Knowledge andunderstandingof a range of evidence-based approaches including systemic practice, social learning theory, attachment and loss, relationship and strength-based interventions;
  • You will also need a full driving licence and ability to travel across Oxfordshire

Ourcommitmentto:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce.Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peersupport, education and safe spaces for all.

Ourcommitmentto:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a DisabilityConfidentemployer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.We are alsocommittedto helping andsupportingthose transitioning from HM ArmedForcesto civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Ourcommitmentto:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council arecommittedto safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers tosharethiscommitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Ourcommitmentto:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, jobsharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

  • Please refer to job description above

Desirable

  • Please refer to job description above
Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

  • Please refer to job description above

Desirable

  • Please refer to job description above

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxfordshire County Council

Address

Oxford

OX4 6HT


Employer's website

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxfordshire County Council

Address

Oxford

OX4 6HT


Employer's website

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Recruiter

Natasha Otchere

VPE827503E.1286@vacancyposter.com

01865816000

Details

Date posted

02 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£54,495 to £57,864 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

VPE827503E

Job locations

Oxford

OX4 6HT


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