Service Manager

Overview

As a dynamic innovative leader, you will strive to ensure that the children and young people of South Ayrshire grow well, live well and age well. Within your portfolio you will have direct leadership of Locality Children & Family Teams, Initial Response Team, and oversee child protection. You will also continue the drive to embed the Signs of Safety framework and demonstrate the values within this.

Working within the Children’s Health Care and Justice management team, you will exhibit the drive, values and leadership required to shape a highly ambitious and improved Children’s Health and Justice Service in South Ayrshire. In collaboration with partners you will be a key leader, responsible for the delivery of the Children’s Health and Justice Services’ key strategic aims and objectives, ensuring that children and young people remain at the centre of all that we do.

• Direct leadership of Locality Children & Family Teams, Initial Response Team, and oversee child protection.
• Embed the Signs of Safety Framework and demonstrate its values.
• Work within the Children’s Health Care and Justice management team to shape a highly ambitious and improved service.
• Lead delivery of the Children’s Health and Justice Services’ key strategic aims and objectives.
• Contribute to wider service agendas by working with elected members, NHS non-executives, heads of service, senior officers, and stakeholders across partner organisations.

South Ayrshire sits in the heart of historic Ayrshire, with a wealth of local heritage and culture, first‑class leisure amenities, world‑wide travel links, diverse landscapes and thriving communities. Making a difference for our communities is at the heart of what we do, and working with us means that you can use your skills, knowledge and experience to help us do just that.

We currently employ around 6,000 people to serve a population of more than 112,000 across towns such as Ayr, Girvan, Maybole, Prestwick and Troon, as well as small rural villages, coastline and farmland.

We are an ambitious Council, and we aim to place people at the centre of everything we do as we look to deliver the best possible outcomes. We are ambitious for our communities too and our new Council Plan is based on priorities and outcomes that we believe will have the greatest impact on the wellbeing of our communities, our local economy and our environment.

• Competitive salary
• Excellent pension scheme
• Generous annual leave entitlement and enhanced leave scheme (purchase of up to 2 weeks' holidays)
• Wellbeing initiatives and occupational health services
• A healthy work‑life balance environment and support for caring responsibilities
• Car leasing scheme
• Discounts on major supermarkets and retailers, cinemas and gym memberships (including Council leisure facilities)
• Purchase of white goods and more via salary sacrifice
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Scotwest Credit Union

Interviews for this post are scheduled for 12/03/2026.

The grade of this post is Level 14.

The work style for this post is hybrid. The successful candidate will be required to work flexibly between home and the office, and the frequency of office attendance may vary depending on the exigencies of the service.