Job Description
About the Role: Service Manager – Children & Young People’s Team
Role
As a Service Manager, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership across defined areas of Children’s Social Care and Integrated Services. In this role, you will:
* Lead, manage and inspire multiple teams, including managers and practitioners, promoting high quality, strengths based practice.
* Maintain professional oversight, risk management and high level decision making for Children in Need, Child Protection and those at risk of significant harm.
* Oversee service development, performance and resource management, ensuring services are safe, equitable and offer value for money.
* Drive multiagency collaboration with health, early years, education, and voluntary sector partners.
* Embed assessment and planning frameworks so children with additional needs receive timely, effective support.
* Represent the service in internal and external forums, influencing policy, system development and continuous improvement.
* Champion learning, development and innovation to build a skilled, confident and motivated workforce.
This is a highly influential role, suited to a confident and experienced leader who can balance strategic vision with strong practice oversight.
Working in partnership across statutory and voluntary agencies, and closely with parents and carers, you will ensure children with disabilities and their families are engaged, listened to, and receive a timely, creative and individual response. Your focus will be firmly on achieving outcomes for children and young people, ensuring that all intervention is meaningful, proportionate, and rooted in best practice.
With a strong connection to frontline practice, you will help cultivate a culture where learning, reflection and high‑quality practice can thrive. You will promote continuous improvement through reflective supervision, strengths‑based approaches and evidence‑informed decision making.
You will also play a central role in multiagency planning, strategic development and safeguarding decisions, ensuring that children in need of protection, at risk of harm or requiring care receive a coordinated, effective and responsive service.
About You
You will be:
* A qualified and registered social worker with significant leadership experience within Children’s Services.
* An effective and inspiring manager with a proven record of driving improvement, managing change and developing high performing teams.
* Skilled in analysing information, using performance data, and making evidence‑informed decisions.
* Experienced in partnership working, with the ability to influence and collaborate across agencies.
* Knowledgeable about legislation, statutory responsibilities and inspection frameworks relevant to children, young people and families.
* Committed to safeguarding, quality assurance and delivering excellent outcomes.
* Able to work flexibly, including participation in the senior management on‑call rota.
We welcome applicants with strong values, ambition, and a genuine commitment to improving the lives of children and their families.
What We Offer
* A comprehensive induction, regular supervision and a strong culture of learning and development.
* Opportunities for CPD, leadership development and professional growth.
* A supportive, inclusive workplace where your contribution is valued.
* Flexible working arrangements.
* Access to a range of employee benefits and wellbeing support.
If you feel that you have the skills, knowledge and experience to join us and work with us to achieve positive outcomes for our children, young people and families in Barnsley then we’d love to hear from you.
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Nicole Harris, Head of Service – nicoleharris@barnsley.gov.uk
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