Early Help Team Leader - MASH

Civic Recruitment Limited; Dudley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Civic Recruitment Limited is recruiting for a 5-month contract with a local authority in Dudley to lead and manage the Early Help function within the Front Door (MASH) Service, ensuring children, young people and families receive the right support at the right time.

The post holder will oversee thresholds, safeguarding, multi-agency working and performance; contribute to strategic development and continuous improvement across Dudley Children's Services.

Qualifications

• Significant experience within MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub)
• Experience in Early Help Services
• Experience in Children's Social Care
• Experience in Safeguarding Services
• Ability to analyse complex information and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills
• Experience driving service improvements and managing change
• Ability to motivate, support and develop staff
• Previous Team Manager, Early Help Manager or Front Door Management experience

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Early Help function within the Front Door Service.
• Provide management oversight for contacts requiring an Early Help response.
• Support, coach and develop staff through supervision, reflective practice and performance management.
• Promote a culture of high-quality practice, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Support workforce development and professional learning.
• Ensure robust and consistent threshold decision-making across the Front Door.
• Support children and families to access appropriate services at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are identified, assessed and responded to appropriately.
• Maintain compliance with statutory guidance, safeguarding procedures and local protocols.
• Provide professional challenge and oversight where required.
• Lead effective partnership working with multiple agencies (Children's Social Care, Education, Health, Police, Early Help Providers, VCS).
• Promote information sharing and collaborative working practices.
• Build and maintain strong multi-agency relationships to improve outcomes for children and families.
• Monitor service demand, performance indicators and outcomes.
• Lead quality assurance activities including Case Audits, Practice Reviews, Thematic Audits, Learning Reviews.
• Contribute to governance, reporting and strategic service development.
• Support the ongoing development of Front Door and Early Help services.
• Ensure services remain effective, efficient and focused on positive outcomes.

Education

Social Work qualification or related professional qualification

Job description

Dudley, United Kingdom | Posted on 20/10/2026

At Civic Recruitment and Limited, we know that individuals are more than just fixed expenses; they are the cornerstone of every thriving organisation. That’s why we are passionate about transforming recruitment in the public and private sectors.

In the modern job market, organisations in both public and private sectors face significant workforce challenges.

Public sector entities, such as local councils and central government departments, often struggle with lengthy recruitment processes, limited access to qualified candidates, and stringent budgetary and regulatory constraints.

Private sector businesses, on the other hand, encounter high turnover rates, difficulties managing a mix of permanent and temporary staff, and challenges in sourcing specialised talent for niche industries. These sector-specific obstacles, coupled with the universal complexities of payroll management, create a pressing need for efficient workforce solutions.

Civic Recruitment Limited addresses these challenges with innovative recruitment and payroll solutions tailored for diverse organisational needs. Recognising the critical hurdles organisations face, the company leverages its expertise to streamline processes, reduce recruitment times, and alleviate administrative burdens. With an extensive database of over 1 million pre-screened candidates, Civic Recruitment Limited is well-positioned to cater to the specific needs of both public and private sectors.

Job Description

5 Month Contract With A Local Authority

Job Purpose

To lead and manage the Early Help function within Dudley's Front Door (MASH) Service, ensuring children, young people and families receive the right support at the right time through effective multi-agency decision-making, threshold management and early intervention.

The postholder will provide leadership, quality assurance and performance oversight across Early Help services, ensuring consistent application of thresholds, robust safeguarding practices and strong partnership working. As part of the Front Door Leadership Team, the role will contribute to the strategic development and continuous improvement of Early Help provision across Dudley Children's Services.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

• Lead and manage the Early Help function within the Front Door Service.
• Provide management oversight for contacts requiring an Early Help response.
• Support, coach and develop staff through supervision, reflective practice and performance management.
• Promote a culture of high-quality practice, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Support workforce development and professional learning.

Threshold Decision-Making & Safeguarding

• Ensure robust and consistent threshold decision-making across the Front Door.
• Support children and families to access appropriate services at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are identified, assessed and responded to appropriately.
• Maintain compliance with statutory guidance, safeguarding procedures and local protocols.
• Provide professional challenge and oversight where required.

Multi-Agency Working

Lead effective partnership working with:

• Children's Social Care
• Education Services
• Health Professionals
• Police
• Early Help Providers
• Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations
• Promote effective information sharing and collaborative working practices.
• Build and maintain strong multi-agency relationships to improve outcomes for children and families.

Performance & Quality Assurance

• Monitor service demand, performance indicators and outcomes.
• Use data and performance information to identify trends and drive improvement.

Lead quality assurance activities including:

• Case Audits
• Practice Reviews
• Thematic Audits
• Learning Reviews
• Identify opportunities for service improvement and implement effective solutions.

Service Development

• Contribute to governance, reporting and strategic service development.
• Support the ongoing development of Front Door and Early Help services.
• Ensure services remain effective, efficient and focused on positive outcomes.
• Promote innovation and best practice across the service.

Requirements

Significant experience within:

• MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub)
• Early Help Services
• Children's Social Care
• Safeguarding Services

Strong understanding of:

• Safeguarding Procedures
• Early Intervention Frameworks
• Threshold Decision-Making
• Multi-Agency Working
• Children's Services Legislation
• Experience managing or leading teams within Children's Services.
• Experience of quality assurance, auditing and performance management.
• Ability to analyse complex information and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Experience driving service improvements and managing change.
• Ability to motivate, support and develop staff.
• Previous Team Manager, Early Help Manager or Front Door Management experience.
• Experience within a Local Authority MASH environment.
• Social Work qualification or related professional qualification.