Service Manager (Children's Social Work)

Service & Team

Mid Cornwall Children and Family Services are seeking an experienced and passionate Service Manager to lead children's social care services across Family help teams and to work in consultation and collaboration with the Head of Services to support service delivery and development across services in mid Cornwall for children in need of support, help and protection. The Service manager will provide strategic and operational leadership to managers and practitioners, driving high-quality safeguarding practice, service improvement and strong multi-agency partnerships. This is an exciting opportunity for a registered social worker with significant leadership experience to make a real difference for children, young people and families in Cornwall through relationship-based, strengths-focused practice.

Service Managers must be a Registered Social Worker with Social Work England and are accountable for ensuring that their service complies with legislation, national minimum standards and associated regulations in service delivery.

Role

Service Managers are responsible for developing, supporting and monitoring the professional capabilities of social workers and lead professionals at a strategic level and championing expertise in specialist practice from a position of influence within the organisation.

This role leads the day-to-day delivery of statutory and non-statutory children's social care and Family Help services, ensuring that children are safeguarded, supported and enabled to achieve positive outcomes. It provides clear leadership and oversight to Team Managers, promoting high-quality supervision, consistent standards and ongoing professional development across the service. The post holder makes and oversees timely, proportionate and well-informed safeguarding decisions at key points including referral, assessment, escalation and closure, while also driving continuous improvement through audit, performance information, learning and reflective practice. The role champions relationship-based, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice, including effective responses to adolescent risk and extra-familial harm, and strengthens collaborative working with police, health, education and voluntary and community partners. It also plays an active part in implementing children's social care reform, helping to strengthen Family Help and early intervention in line with national expectations, while contributing to service planning, workforce development, budget management and inspection readiness.

This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.

This position will be subject to an enhanced criminal record disclosure check.

Working Pattern

The working pattern is a 37 hour week and Monday to Friday. Flexible working policies are available, including compressed hours, term-time only, hybrid work arrangements, and other alternatives.

Required Skills and Experience

We are looking for an experienced and values-driven social work leader who brings a recognised social work qualification, registration with Social Work England and significant post-qualification experience in children's social care. The ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to relationship-based practice and to social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion, alongside a genuine focus on staff well-being and workforce development. They will bring proven experience as a Team Manager or Service Manager with responsibility for statutory services, together with a strong track record of leading teams, strengthening performance and improving practice. They will have in-depth knowledge of children's legislation, statutory guidance and safeguarding frameworks, as well as experience of effective multi-agency working and partnership leadership. The candidate should be confident in leading change, managing risk and making sound professional judgments, while inspiring others to deliver the very best outcomes for children and families.

Benefits

Cornwall Council's ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff to support a greater work/life balance while ensuring service needs are met.

• a competitive salary
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on career average earnings, including the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave
• a national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• Employee benefits scheme giving access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services

Additional Information

Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer existing sponsorship for this role.