Social Work - Service Manager

Darlington Borough Council; Tees Valley; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government council in Tees Valley is looking for an experienced Service Manager to lead three Assessment and Safeguarding teams in children's services. The ideal candidate will be responsible for supporting children from referral to permanence, managing the Children with Disabilities team, and ensuring high-quality practice. This full-time position offers a competitive salary and benefits, including generous leave and access to pension schemes. The council promotes agile working, allowing flexibility in managing one's diary.

Benefits

32 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays

Access to Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes

Training and development opportunities

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Demonstrable knowledge of children's services leadership.
• Experience managing teams in social work.
• Ability to work in an agile environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee three Assessment and Safeguarding teams.
• Support children from referral to permanence.
• Manage the Children with Disabilities team.

Skills

Leadership

Understanding of children's services

Agile working

Job description

Hours and Pay

Salary £55,591 - £58,883 per annum Salary Band Over £50,000 Post Type Permanent Hours Per Week Full time

Job and Application details

Categories Social Work - Leadership
Directorate N/A Published Date 17/12/2025 Closing Date 06/01/2026

We are looking for an experienced children's services leader who is ready to be part of our exciting and forward thinking service. In Darlington we pride ourselves on our relational practice framework which runs throughout all of our services. Ofsted highlighted Darlington as 'Good' in our ILACs inspection (2022) with further strengths identified in our Assessment and Safeguarding service during a focused visit in October 2023.

As a Service Manager you will be responsible for three of our Assessment and Safeguarding teams who support children from the point of referral through to permanence as well as our Children with Disabilities team.

We offer agile working and trust our practitioners to manage their diary with a mixture of face to face working and home working in line with service needs. You will be supported by a stable senior leadership team who are committed to continuously improving our service.

Applications for this opportunity are invited from experienced Team Managers who will have demonstrable knowledge and insight into the role as well as existing senior leaders.

Provisional interview dates for this post are 15th January 2026.

This role is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure with Children's Barred List check.

Benefits

• 32 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays, with the option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time staff)
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with the option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
• Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
• Staff equality forums
• Green Car Leasing Scheme
• Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
• Physiotherapy service
• Confidential counselling service
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
• Local and National retailer discounts
• Arriva Employee Travel Club

For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and Employee Information Sheet.

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