Service Manager - Children With Disabilities

Opus People Solutions Ltd; Nether Poppleton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Opus People Solutions Ltd is supporting a local authority in the Eastern Region to appoint an Interim Service Manager for the Children with Disabilities Service. The role oversees Short Breaks provision and drives service improvements across teams, ensuring safe, cost-effective services for children and families.

The post requires recent management within Children's Services, strong safeguarding knowledge, and excellent stakeholder relations.

Qualifications

• Recent management experience within a Children with Disabilities Service.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and statutory responsibilities.
• Proven track record in service improvement and change management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work strategically with hands-on operational delivery.
• Experience with Liquidlogic and performance reporting (advantage).

Responsibilities

• Lead and support service improvement activity across the Children with Disabilities Service.
• Oversee the delivery and development of Short Breaks provision for children and young people with disabilities.
• Ensure services deliver positive outcomes for children and families.
• Drive operational improvements and support good practice across teams.
• Support and engage staff through service developments and change programmes.
• Act as the link between strategic objectives and frontline practice.
• Contribute to service redesign and transformation initiatives.
• Provide budget oversight and contribute to financial decision-making.

Skills

People management

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Service improvement

Change management

Budget oversight

Tools

Liquidlogic

Performance reporting tools

Job description

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Interim Service Manager to support a Children with Disabilities Service within a local authority in the Eastern Region.

This role will play a key part in the service's ongoing improvement journey, with responsibility for overseeing a Short Breaks provision and supporting improvement activity across the wider Children with Disabilities Service. The successful candidate will work closely with practitioners and managers to drive positive outcomes for children and families, ensuring services are delivered effectively, safely, and within budget.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support service improvement activity across the Children with Disabilities Service.
• Oversee the delivery and development of Short Breaks provision for children and young people with disabilities.
• Ensure services are delivering positive outcomes for children and families.
• Drive operational improvements and support good practice across teams.
• Support and engage staff through service developments and change programmes.
• Act as the link between strategic objectives and frontline practice.
• Contribute to service redesign and transformation initiatives.
• Provide budget oversight and contribute to financial decision-making.

Requirements

• Recent management experience within a Children with Disabilities Service.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, statutory responsibilities, and service delivery within Children's Services.
• Proven track record of leading service improvement and managing change.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work strategically while maintaining a hands-on operational approach.
• Experience working with Liquidlogic and performance reporting tools would be advantageous.

Contract Details

• Initial 3 assignment.
• Full time or 4 days per week.
• Approximately 3-4 days per week on site across locations within the Eastern Region.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Children's Services manager who can quickly assess service needs, build relationships with stakeholders, and support teams in delivering meaningful improvements for children with disabilities and their families