Service Leader – Family Support & Safeguarding, Portsmouth City Council
Join to apply for the Service Leader role at Guardian Jobs.
The Service
The Children & Families Service provides social work, care support and intervention with children, young people and their parents/carers. This includes children in need of support, protection and care, including Care Leavers, children with disabilities, and young people who offend or are at risk of exploitation. The service also provides a range of placement options for children in the care of the local authority including foster care, residential care, adoption, and other care arrangements with Special Guardians and Connect Persons.
About the Role
As Service Leader, you will:
* Lead and manage a team of team leaders and social workers working with Children in Need, Child Protection, Public Law, Outline cases and Children We Care For.
* Ensure all team requirements are met regarding statutory compliance, workforce development, performance management and quality improvement.
* Supervise team leaders and support complex decision‑making, including initiating child protection enquiries and considering removal from home when necessary.
* Work collaboratively with partner agencies such as Health, Education, Police, Housing and voluntary services to deliver integrated support for vulnerable children and families.
* Promote timely, evidence‑based assessments and cost‑effective intervention plans that improve safety and well‑being.
* Drive service development, budget management and staff well‑being initiatives.
* Champion a restorative, strengths‑based, “think family” approach and embed the Family Safeguarding Model across the service.
This is a high‑autonomy leadership role requiring strong judgement, creativity and the ability to influence practice and culture change.
The Ideal Candidate
We’re looking for an inspirational leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and families.
You will need to:
* Hold a Social Work qualification (Diploma, Degree or MSc) and be registered with Social Work England.
* Have substantial experience in children’s social care, including safeguarding and care proceedings.
* Be a confident and competent leader with proven experience in managing teams and driving performance.
* Demonstrate excellent organisational, communication and analytical skills and be able to manage budgets and resources effectively.
* Be collaborative and skilled at bringing together different disciplines and agencies to achieve common goals.
* Have a strong understanding of statutory guidance, local policies and evidence‑based practice.
* Be committed to continuous professional development and able to coach, mentor and support others.
* Show resilience, creativity and a “can‑do” attitude, with the ability to manage stress and promote staff well‑being.
Working Arrangements
The role is primarily office based. Interviews will be held in January 2026.
Application Process
We anonymise applications during application and shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. As part of your application you must complete a personal statement demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the job against each point described in the “Who is the Person” section of the job profile.
We are a disability‑confident employer and an Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. For more information see Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on our portal.
All candidates who qualify under our corporate commitments and meet the minimum criteria will receive an interview offer. For roles with many applications we select the best meeting the minimum criteria.
You must demonstrate that you have the right to work in the UK. No post will be offered without this.
Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616800.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.
#J-18808-Ljbffr