Children with Disabilities Service Manager

The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £73,317 per annum based on 36 hours per week.

Lead a specialist service that makes a lasting difference to the lives of children with disabilities and their families.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate leader in children's services to join Surrey County Council as our Service Manager for Children with Disabilities (CwD) within Family Help in East Surrey. This is a unique opportunity to shape and lead a specialist service at a time of significant national reform, ensuring that children with disabilities and their families receive the right support, at the right time, from the right professionals.

Our Offer to You

26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service plus bank holidays
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

The Surrey Context

The national Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) represents one of the most significant changes to children's services in recent years. Placing earlier intervention, stronger partnerships, and better outcomes for children and families at the heart of practice, FFPP aims to create a more joined-up system that strengthens relationships and ensures families can access help before challenges escalate.

At Surrey, we are ambitious for children and families. We are committed to ensuring children with disabilities receive high-quality support that enables them to thrive within their families, communities and local networks wherever possible.

As a key member of Surrey's Family Help leadership team, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring children with disabilities and their families benefit fully from this approach, helping to shape how specialist services work alongside Family Help, education, health, and wider children's social care services to deliver seamless, coordinated support.

About the Role

As Service Manager, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership for Surrey's Children with Disabilities Service, creating the conditions for excellent practice, strong safeguarding and improved outcomes for children and families.

You will lead a multidisciplinary service that includes specialist social work, occupational therapy and early support functions, ensuring children and young people receive coordinated support from early intervention through to statutory services where required.

Working across the wider Family Help system, you will ensure that children with disabilities and their families experience clear and effective pathways into, through and out of services, with support that is relationship-based, responsive to need and focused on promoting safety, wellbeing and inclusion.

You will also oversee services supporting children and young people who require complex care packages, short breaks, respite provision and, where necessary, care away from home. Through strong leadership and quality assurance, you will ensure statutory responsibilities are met, safeguarding decisions are robust, and regulated and commissioned services continue to deliver high-quality support.

Alongside operational leadership, you will work closely with senior leaders and partners across Surrey to influence service development, support commissioning decisions, drive continuous improvement and ensure the voice and…