Service Manager - Multi-Agency Child Protection (Children’s Social Care Reform)

We Manage Jobs(WMJobs); Oldbury; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority children's trust in Oldbury seeks a Service Manager to lead multi-agency child protection efforts. This role involves strategic leadership to ensure high-quality statutory social work practice, improving outcomes for at-risk children. Ideal candidates will have extensive management experience and a recognized social work qualification. Competitive benefits include up to 31 days annual leave, flexible working patterns, and a generous pension scheme.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Paid birthday off

Competitive expenses

Career progression opportunities

Qualifications

• Extensive management experience in children’s statutory services.
• Direct experience of frontline practice in child protection.
• Track record of leading service transformation and improving outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of multi-agency child protection services.
• Provide strategic leadership for high-quality social work practice.
• Champion best practices in safeguarding and risk assessment.

Skills

Management experience in children’s statutory services

Subject matter expertise in child protection

Strong communication skills

Leadership skills

Education

Recognised social work qualification

Job description

At Sandwell Children’s Trust we strive for excellence to improve the lives of children. Our‘Sandwell Deal’,brings together our new improved offering that make Sandwell Children’s Trust a great place to work; it also sets out our expectations of you as a member of staff.

What we can offer you:-

• Generous annual leave of up to 31 days, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
• Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 Bank Holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
• You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
• We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards.
• Flexible working patterns that suit you and all of our roles have well-defined career progression.
• We provide competitive expenses for both mileage (55p per mile) and subsistence, plus access to a comprehensive employee benefits scheme.

Please visit The Sandwell Deal via this hyperlink:

https://sandwelldeal.co.uk/

Band J SCP 48 – 51 (£58,327 - £61,853 per annum) dependent on experience

Full-time 37 hours per week

Fixed term contract until March 2026 (with strong likelihood of extension)

About the Role: -

We are looking for a highly skilled and experiencedService Managerto lead onMulti-Agency Child Protectionas part of the implementation of the national reforms in children’s social care. This is a critical leadership role focused on strengthening statutory social work practice and improving outcomes for children at risk of significant harm.

You will be responsible for driving forward a multi-agency approach to child protection, ensuring that services are responsive, evidence-informed, and aligned with national reform priorities.

Key Responsibilities: -

• Lead the development and delivery of multi-agency child protection services in line with national reforms.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure high-quality statutory social work practice.
• Champion best practice in safeguarding, risk assessment, and intervention for children in need of protection.
• Work collaboratively with partners to embed a shared vision and integrated approach to child protection.
• Monitor performance, ensure compliance with statutory duties, and drive continuous improvement.

About You: -

This role requires a confident and knowledgeable leader with a deep understanding of statutory children’s social work. You must hold arecognised social work qualificationand be registered with the relevant professional body.

You will also need to demonstrate:

• Extensive management experiencein children’s statutory services.
• Subject matter expertisein child protection, including direct experience of frontline practice.
• A strong track record of leading service transformation and delivering improved outcomes.
• Excellent communication, partnership, and leadership skills.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a national movement to reform and improve children’s social care.
• Lead meaningful change in child protection practice and outcomes.
• Work in a supportive, ambitious, and forward-thinking environment.
• Strong potential for contract extension beyond March 2026.

When people join the team at Sandwell they say it feels like they become part of the family…they have #ComeHomeToSandwell. With the work that we have done so far and with the ambitions we have for the future, it’s a really exciting time to join Sandwell Children’s Trust and to become part of our Family.

So, if you think your future could lie with Sandwell Children’s Trust, then we’d love to hear from you.

Sandwell Children's Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups including children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children and young people.

If you require further information on the role or working for us please [e-mail] a member of our Recruitment Team will be happy to give you a call.

Please click on the link below to complete an application form and view The Sandwell Deal

https://sandwelldeal.co.uk/apply/