Service Manager - Multi Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT)

Hertfordshire County Council; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 63,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Travel required

Job summary

Hertfordshire County Council’s Children Services are recruiting two Service Managers to lead our newly formed Multi Agency Child Protection Teams across the West and East of Hertfordshire. You will provide strategic and operational leadership to safeguard children and drive high‑quality, child‑centred interventions in partnership with police, health, education and the voluntary sector.

You will chair complex safeguarding meetings, monitor performance, manage resources, and develop staff to

Qualifications

• Social Work Qualified and registered with Social Work England.
• Full UK driving licence and regular access to a vehicle.
• Proven leadership and management experience (including managing / leading managers or teams).
• Strong experience of working within a multi‑agency environment (e.g. education, health, police, probation, or safeguarding partnerships).
• Excellent knowledge of safeguarding practice and multi‑agency decision‑making processes.
• Demonstrable ability to manage service performance, including use of data to drive improvement.
• In‑depth understanding of lawful information sharing (including data protection and safeguarding legislation).
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to contribute at senior / partnership level.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to lead and maintain a positive, high‑performing team culture.
• Experience of supporting and developing staff, promoting accountability and continuous learning.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, high‑pressure environment.
• Experience of working collaboratively with partner agencies to improve outcomes.
• Confidence in driving service improvement, transformation, and use of technology.
• Promote and model equality, diversity and inclusion across the MACPT, ensuring services are accessible, culturally responsive and reflective of the needs of all children, families and staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multi‑agency safeguarding and child protection services, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, policies, and best practice.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with key agencies to promote integrated safeguarding arrangements.
• Provide professional leadership, oversight, and quality assurance of child protection practice and decision‑making.
• Monitor service performance, risk management, and outcomes for children, implementing improvement plans where required.
• Chair or contribute to complex safeguarding meetings, panels, and strategic partnerships.
• Ensure effective management of resources, budgets, workforce development, and service delivery.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, learning from audits, reviews, inspections, and safeguarding incidents.
• Support the implementation of local and national safeguarding priorities, legislation, and guidance.

Skills

Leadership

Multi‑agency collaboration

Strategic thinking

Data‑driven decisions

Communication

Driving licence

Education

Social Work England registration

Job description

Job Introduction

Job Title: Multi-Agency Child Protection Service Manager

Starting Salary: £63,471 + £7,574 market enhanced payment progressing to £71,045 + £6,886 market enhanced payment per annum

Hours:37

Base Location:Farnham House, Stevenage or Apsley, Hemel Hempstead / hybrid working model with travel required.

Contract Type: Permanent

Directorate:Children Services

About The Team

We are looking for two innovative and experienced social work managers to join as Service Managers playing the critical role of leading our newly formed Multi Agency Child Protection Teams. One post will cover services in the West of Hertfordshire and one will cover services in the East of Hertfordshire.

About The Role

The national Families First Partnership Programme introduces Multi Agency Child Protection Teams where Children’s Services, Police, Health and Education will be co‑located and work in partnership to respond to significant harm and protect Hertfordshire’s children and families.

You will provide strategic and operational leadership for multi-agency child protection services, ensuring effective safeguarding arrangements that protect children and young people from harm. You will lead collaborative working across local authority services, health, education, police, voluntary sector organisations, and other partners to deliver high-quality, child-centred interventions and achieve positive outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multi-agency safeguarding and child protection services, ensuring
• compliance with statutory requirements, policies, and best practice.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with key agencies to promote integrated
• safeguarding arrangements.
• Provide professional leadership, oversight, and quality assurance of child protection
• practice and decision-making.
• Monitor service performance, risk management, and outcomes for children,
• implementing improvement plans where required.
• Chair or contribute to complex safeguarding meetings, panels, and strategic partnerships.
• Ensure effective management of resources, budgets, workforce development, and service delivery.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, learning from audits, reviews, inspections, and safeguarding incidents.
• Support the implementation of local and national safeguarding priorities, legislation, and
• guidance.

About You

Essential

• Social Work Qualified and registered with Social Work England
• Full UK driving licence and regular access to a vehicle
• Proven leadership and management experience (including managing / leading managers or teams)
• Strong experience of working within a multi-agency environment (e.g. education, health, police, probation, or safeguarding partnerships)
• Excellent knowledge of safeguarding practice and multi-agency decision-making processes
• Demonstrable ability to manage service performance, including use of data to drive improvement
• In-depth understanding of lawful information sharing (including data protection and safeguarding legislation)
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to contribute at senior / partnership level
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to lead and maintain a positive, high-performing team culture
• Experience of supporting and developing staff, promoting accountability and continuous learning
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
• Experience of working collaboratively with partner agencies to improve outcomes
• Confidence in driving service improvement, transformation, and use of technology
• Promote and model equality, diversity and inclusion across the MACPT, ensuring services are accessible, culturally responsive and reflective of the needs of all children, families and staff.

This is an exceptional development opportunity to join Hertfordshire’s Children’s Services. We welcome you bringing creativity and flair, and we will consistently support you within our high performing management structure.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 14. Please locate the job profile here: Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contactCaroline Ash ([e-mail]) or Pretty Mkiwane ([e-mail]) for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 9th November - Face to Face, Stevenage offices

Benefits of working for us

Additional Information

We are changing

Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be aDisability Confident employerand guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding

This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving Required

You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required).Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.