Service Manager; Mid

Overview

Mid Cornwall Children and Family Services are seeking a 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.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to managers and practitioners, driving high‑quality safeguarding practice, service improvement and multi‑agency partnership.
• Develop, support and monitor the professional capabilities of social workers and lead professionals at a strategic level.
• Lead the day‑to‑day delivery of statutory and non‑statutory children’s social care and Family Help services, ensuring children are safeguarded, supported and enabled to achieve positive outcomes.
• Make and oversee timely, proportionate and well‑informed safeguarding decisions at key points including referral, assessment, escalation and closure.
• Drive continuous improvement through audit, performance information, learning and reflective practice.
• Champion relationship‑based, trauma‑informed and strengths‑based practice, including responses to adolescent risk and extra‑familial harm.
• Strengthen collaborative working with police, health, education and voluntary and community partners.
• Implement children’s social care reform, strengthening Family Help and early intervention in line with national expectations.
• Contribute to service planning, workforce development, budget management and inspection readiness.

Applicants must  be a Registered Social Worker with Social Work England and possess significant post‑qualification experience in children’s social care, including the following:

• Registered Social Worker with Social Work England.
• Significant post‑qualification experience in children’s social care, including team or service management.
• Strong commitment to relationship‑based practice, social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion.
• In‑depth knowledge of children’s legislation, statutory guidance and safeguarding frameworks.
• Proven track record of leading teams, strengthening performance and improving practice.
• Ability to lead change, manage risk and make sound professional judgments.
• Experience in effective multi‑agency working and partnership leadership.

• A competitive salary.
• A defined benefit pension scheme, based on your 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 employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.