| Salary £66,336 - £72,151 Per Annum | Permanent, Full time, 37 hours per week | Children's Social Care - Lancaster & Fleetwood
International Sponsorship – this role is not open to international sponsorship
Children in Need / Child Protection and Court Services
Location: North Lancashire
About Us…
Lancashire County Council is one of the largest local authorities in the UK, supporting over 1.5 million residents. Our Children’s Services are nationally recognised for their commitment to safeguarding, innovation, and delivering high-quality outcomes for children, young people, and families. We are proud of our values-led culture and our focus on continuous improvement, collaboration, and inclusion.
About You…
Service Excellence – You will lead a cluster of specialist teams to deliver first-class assessments and timely support for children, young people, carers, and families. You will ensure services are responsive, outcome-focused, and delivered within statutory frameworks and budgetary constraints.
Leadership – You will work closely with the Head of Service to shape operational strategy and drive service transformation. You will inspire and develop high-performing teams, embed a performance culture, and ensure inspection readiness. Your leadership will promote cross-organisational working and multi-agency collaboration.
Passion – You are passionate about improving life chances for children and young people. You will champion inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement. You will ensure that children and families have a voice in shaping the support they receive and that services are delivered with empathy, integrity, and professionalism.
Essential Qualifications & Experience:
1. CQSW, DipSW, BA in Social Work or equivalent
2. Registered Social Worker (Social Work England)
3. Minimum 4 years’ experience in leadership within children’s social care
4. Strong knowledge of statutory frameworks including Children Acts, Working Together 2018, and care planning regulations
Why Join Us…
Inclusivity – We are committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive working environment. Our aim is to ensure that everyone is equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society, working in an environment where individual differences are celebrated. To support this, we would especially welcome applications from any traditionally under-represented groups including people of colour, from the LGBTQ+ community or those with a disability. In addition, we provide a range of support networks including our Disabled Workers Forum, Forum of Asian & Black Employees, LGBTQ+ Employee Network & our Employee Support Team.
Benefits – We have a fabulous range of benefits including our benefits platform “Vivup” which can help you save on your weekly shop, plus discounts on clothing, eating out, entertainment, gym memberships and more. We have an excellent Employee Assistance Plan which can support your family and you with challenges around finance, fitness and health. There’s a generous local government pension (circa 16%) with shared contributory AVC’s, cycle to work schemes and reimbursement for eye tests plus much more. We support flexible working to improve your work life balance, with up to 32 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, 2 additional days at Christmas and a further 20 days that can be purchased separately.
Development – You’ll get support and development along the journey – there will be time for supportive reflection and supervision for yourself, opportunities for personal growth, qualifications and development, multidisciplinary initiatives, mentoring, the opportunity to make a difference, feel valued and achieve the job satisfaction you’ve always wanted.
How to apply…
If you are interested in applying for this role, please provide the below with your application:
5. Supporting Statement – Highlighting why you fit the role requirements.
6. CV/Resume
If you have any questions before applying, we would be delighted to have an initial confidential chat with you. Please contact Lee Byrne via email: to arrange a call.
Closing Date: Sunday 5th October
Interviews: TBC
You must be registered (SWE) to be appointed as a Social Worker or have applied to register with the Social Care Council. For Social Worker/Care Manager positions where non social worker qualifications are accepted, registration is not required, and you will be appointed as a Care Manager.
You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.
The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.
Lancashire County Council reserves the right to close this job advertisement at any time prior to the stated closing date. This decision may be made without prior notice and is at the sole discretion of Lancashire County Council. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly, as we may fill the position before the advertised closing.