Service Manager

Cheshire East; Crewe; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking a dynamic Service Manager to lead the Child in Need and Child Protection Service. The role involves inspiring teams, driving excellence in safeguarding practice, and ensuring timely support for vulnerable children. Ideal candidates will possess extensive experience in children's services and demonstrate strong leadership skills. This opportunity offers a competitive salary up to £62,777, enhanced annual leave, flexible working patterns, and a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary with yearly increases

34 to 39 days of annual leave

Flexible working pattern

Salary sacrifice green car scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Manager within children’s services.
• Proven track record of delivering high-quality safeguarding practice.
• Strong leadership skills to inspire and motivate teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the Child in Need and Child Protection Service.
• Ensure high-quality, child-centred practice that meets statutory responsibilities.
• Work collaboratively with multi-agency partners to strengthen safeguarding.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding practice

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Resilience

Job description

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Service Manager to lead our Child in Need and Child Protection Service, driving excellence in safeguarding practice and ensuring that every child receives the support they deserve. This is a pivotal leadership role where you will inspire and empower a dedicated team, champion best practice, and work collaboratively with partners to deliver positive outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children in our community.

About us

At Cheshire East Council we are resident, and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

For us, success isn’t just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co‑created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too!

Join us on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care at Cheshire East Council

We’re on a meaningful journey in Children’s Social Care and we’d love for you to be part of it. Joining us means becoming part of a supportive, forward‑thinking team that’s passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people. Everything we do is about putting them first, helping them grow, thrive and reach their full potential so they can build brighter futures.

If this sounds like the kind of impact you want to make, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Come and join us in shaping positive change for our young people.

About the role

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the Child in Need and Child Protection Service, with direct oversight of five frontline teams.
• Ensure high-quality, timely, and child-centred practice that meets statutory responsibilities, including compliance with the Public Law Outline.
• Drive effective performance management and embed a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and innovation.
• Work collaboratively with Heads of Service, peer Service Managers, Team Managers, and multi-agency partners to strengthen safeguarding practice and deliver positive outcomes for children.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of service plans aligned with organisational priorities and improvement objectives.
• Champion best practice and support the professional development of staff to maintain a skilled and motivated workforce.

About you

• You are passionate about achieving outstanding outcomes for children and families.
• You want to be part of Cheshire East’s improvement journey, helping strong social work practice to flourish.
• You’ll have extensive experience as a Manager within children’s services, with a proven track record of delivering high-quality safeguarding practice.
• You’ll demonstrate strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and challenge teams to achieve excellence.
• You have a thorough understanding of statutory frameworks, including the Public Law Outline, and experience in managing complex cases.
• You’re confident in building effective partnerships across agencies and promoting collaborative working.
• You’ll bring resilience, strategic thinking, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

What we offer in return

• A competitive salary - Between £54,994 per annum - £62,777 per annum (CEC NJC – Grade 12) with guaranteed yearly pay increases!
• Enhanced annual leave - Start with an impressive 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) from day one, and watch it grow to 39 days after just five years of service.
• Purchase of annual leave – Want more time off? You can purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave each year, giving you the flexibility to balance work and life just the way you want (pro‑rata for part‑time staff).
• Flexible working pattern - Enjoy a 37‑hour standard full‑time work week with the added perks of flexitime and hybrid/remote working arrangements where possible. Your work‑life balance just got a whole lot better!
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme - Drive green and save green! Lease a brand‑new electric or hybrid car through our salary sacrifice scheme. There’re no credit checks, no deposits, just significant savings and exclusive offers on a three‑year lease.

How to apply

We’re delighted that you’re considering applying for this role! To join our team, simply click ‘Apply for this job’ at the bottom of the page. If you’d prefer an informal chat first or have any questions about the role, feel free to reach out to Stephen Pepper at [e-mail], they will be happy to hear from you! Please remember to include the job reference so we know which role you are interested in.

We wish you all the best in your application and if you run into any technical issues, our friendly team are here to help at [e-mail].