Service Manager - Assessment Team - Childrens Services - #2147408

Service Manager - Children's Social Care Assessment Team

Interim / Full Time

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Service Manager to lead our Children's Social Care Assessment Team. This is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring that children and families receive timely, high-quality assessments and interventions that promote safety, wellbeing, and positive outcomes.

You will provide operational and strategic leadership across the assessment service, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, effective performance management, and the delivery of child-centred practice. Working closely with senior leaders and partner agencies, you will drive continuous improvement while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and professional development.

• Provide leadership and management to Team Managers and Social Work teams within the Assessment Service.
• Ensure statutory assessments, child protection enquiries, and interventions are completed within required timescales and to a high standard.
• Drive quality assurance and continuous improvement through performance monitoring, audits, and service development initiatives.
• Lead on safeguarding practice, ensuring that children remain at the centre of all decision-making.
• Manage service performance against key indicators, identifying risks and implementing improvement plans where necessary.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, retention, staff wellbeing, and professional development.
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with education, health, police, and other safeguarding agencies.
• Contribute to strategic planning and transformation programmes across Children's Services.
• Manage service budgets effectively and ensure resources are utilised to achieve best value.
• Promote a culture of learning, reflective supervision, and evidence-based practice.

• Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration.
• Significant management experience within Children's Social Care.
• Proven experience leading assessment, safeguarding, or front-door services.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, including:
  • Children Act 1989 and 2004
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education
  • Care Planning Regulations and associated statutory guidance
• Demonstrable experience of improving performance and outcomes for children and families.
• Experience of managing budgets, resources, and service performance.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to lead and motivate multi-disciplinary teams through change and transformation.

• Management qualification or equivalent leadership development.
• Experience working within a complex local authority environment.
• Experience leading service redesign or improvement programmes.
• Knowledge of Ofsted inspection frameworks and preparation.

Eden Brown Synergy is an equal opportunities employer.

Eden Brown Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales with registered number 3643845. Our registered address is 5th floor 4 Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AR, part of nGAGE Specialist Recruitment Limited T/A nGAGE Talent. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. This message is intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please send it back to us, and immediately and permanently delete it. Do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. We take reasonable precautions to ensure no viruses are present in this email but cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage sustained as a result of computer viruses and the recipient must ensure that the email (and attachments) are virus free.