Location
Dockside Rd, London Borough of Newham

Hours
Full-time, Permanent

Salary
Competitive, subject to experience £67,174 - £82,809

About the Role
We are seeking a passionate and experienced Service Manager to lead our Children with Disabilities (CWD) service in Newham. This strategic leadership role within Children’s Services ensures children and young people with disabilities receive high-quality, personalised support that promotes their safety, wellbeing, and development. This unique role combines leadership of the Children with Disabilities service with strategic oversight of three Family Support and Safeguarding Teams. You will provide operational and strategic leadership across Child in Need (CiN), Child Protection (CP), Public Law Outline (PLO), and care proceedings, ensuring safeguarding practice is robust, child-centred, and compliant with statutory frameworks.

The Family Support and Safeguarding service enhances family shared, relational values central to our practice and continues the evolution of our embedded Circles of Support model. You will oversee two CWD teams delivering statutory social work services, short breaks, and transition planning. Managing and developing our Short Breaks Service is key, providing essential respite and enriching experiences for children and young people with disabilities while supporting family resilience and stability.

You will lead on Preparing for Adulthood pathways, working closely with Adult Social Care, health, education, and housing partners to ensure smooth, well-supported transitions. You will oversee development and review of care packages, ensuring they are tailored, cost-effective, and meet assessed needs. You will represent Children’s Services at the Multi-Agency Joint Funding Panel, contributing to decisions on complex care packages requiring cross-agency collaboration.

In line with national social care reforms, you will embed early intervention, improve placement stability, and ensure financial transparency and accountability in service delivery.

Experience
- Extensive experience in children’s social care, particularly services for children with disabilities and safeguarding
- Strong understanding of SEND legislation, safeguarding frameworks, disability rights, and transition planning
- Experience managing short breaks, care packages, and statutory safeguarding processes
- Proven ability to lead strategic planning and manage budgets effectively
- Experience working within multi-agency panels or funding forums

About you
You will be a confident and compassionate leader committed to high-quality, child-centred practice. You will demonstrate strong strategic leadership skills, excellent communication, and the ability to foster collaborative multi-agency working. You are passionate about improving outcomes for children with disabilities and their families and able to drive service improvement in a complex environment.

Qualifications
- Recognised social work qualification
- Registration with Social Work England