Senior Manager - Support and Protect, EDT, MA Children's Hub - WMF3165e

The Cumbria County Council; Kendal; On-site; GBP 84,000 - 87,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pension scheme

Enhanced annual leave

Discount schemes

Job summary

The Cumbria County Council is seeking an experienced Senior Manager – Support and Protect and Multi-Agency Children's Hub (MACH) to provide strategic leadership across safeguarding and child protection services. You will oversee MACH and Emergency Duty Team, ensuring timely and proportionate responses to safeguarding concerns.

This role shapes strategic direction and champions high quality social work practice.

Qualifications

• Social Work qualification at degree level (or equivalent).
• Registration with Social Work England.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across safeguarding and child protection services.
• Oversee Support and Protect Services, MACH and Emergency Duty Team.
• Lead on pre-proceedings and court-related practice.
• Drive continuous improvement and inspection readiness.
• Partner with health, police, education and other agencies.

Skills

Senior leadership

Stakeholder communication

Partnership working

Budget management

Service improvement

Inspection readiness

Court work knowledge

Safeguarding knowledge

Strategic influence

Education

Social Work degree

Registration with Social Work England

Job description

Job reference REQ00000020400 Date posted 21/09/2026 Application closing date 25/10/2026 Location kendal Salary £83,724 - £86,703 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Attachments Blank

Job description

Location: Multiple locations

Contract Type: Permanent

About this opportunity

Are you an experienced and inspirational children's services leader ready to make a real difference for children, young people and families?

Westmorland and Furness Council is seeking an exceptional Senior Manager – Support and Protect and Multi-Agency Children's Hub (MACH) to provide strategic leadership across our safeguarding and child protection services. This is a key senior leadership role within Children's and Families, responsible for leading high-quality services that support and protect vulnerable children and ensure that statutory responsibilities are delivered effectively and consistently.

You will oversee Support and Protect Services, the Multi-Agency Children's Hub (MACH) and Emergency Duty Team, ensuring that children and families receive timely, effective and proportionate responses to safeguarding concerns. Working closely with partners across health, police, education and the wider safeguarding system, you will champion a culture where children's needs are at the centre of decision-making.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape strategic direction, drive continuous improvement, lead inspection readiness and embed excellent social work practice across services. You will also lead on pre-proceedings and court-related practice while providing visible leadership and support to a workforce.

Who we are looking for…

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced senior leader who is passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for children and families.

You will bring:

• A recognised Social Work qualification at degree level (or equivalent).
• Registration with Social Work England.
• Significant senior management experience within children's social care and safeguarding services.
• A proven track record of leading large teams, managing substantial budgets and delivering service improvement.
• Extensive experience of working in partnership across agencies and influencing strategic outcomes.
• Experience of leading services through inspection and regulatory scrutiny.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, child protection, pre-proceedings and court work.
• The ability to communicate effectively and confidently with a wide range of stakeholders, including elected members, senior leaders and partner organisations.
• A demonstrable commitment to creating a culture of high performance, continual improvement and excellent social work practice.

As a senior leader, you will exemplify the leadership behaviours of Westmorland and Furness Council and be committed to delivering outstanding services for children, young people and families.

What can we offer you!

Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site. Our benefits | Careers (westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk)

Would you like to find out more?

For further information about this role, such as responsibilities and essential criteria please view the below attachments:

• Post Specification
• Role Profile

Please note: If the Post Specification for this vacancy states that a UK driving licence is required, non-UK driving licences with entitlement to drive vehicles in the UK will also be accepted.

For an informal discussion with Jonathan Taylor, Director – Children and Families about this opportunity, please contact: [e-mail]

Application and Interview information

Closing date: 25/10/2026

Interview date: 06/11/2026

We are currently operating both in-person and virtual interviews. Interview details such as venue/timings will be shared with successful candidates, following the shortlisting process. If you have any concerns or adjustments are needed, we are happy to discuss this with you.

If you experience any technical difficulties applying for this role, please contact the HR Systems Team at [e-mail] .

For guidance on the recruitment process, FAQs, and useful tips for completing your application, please visit: Our Approach to Recruitment | Careers

Safer Recruitment & DBS

At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and requires an enhanced DBS check with a Children’s/Adults Barred List check.

Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with adults and/or Children. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with adults and/or Children.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.

As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old (someone who has been looked after by a local authority at any point, for any length of time, e.g. foster care, residential care, or under the guardianship of a local authority) that meet the essential criteria for the role.