Position reference: 50007891
Salary: £61,350-£66,512
Working Arrangements: Agile Working - minimum 3 days in the office
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.
See our range of Employee Rewards: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/jobs/just4you/
Closing date:27/03/2026 at 23:59
The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard.
The successful candidate will be required to be available outside of services normal working hours as part of a standby rota to respond to out of hours service needs. A standardised standby payment will be made in respect of these duties.
This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check
If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in. If you experience difficulty in obtaining an overseas criminal record check please email dbs@barnsley.gov.uk
When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.
Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.
How do we sum up Barnsley Council? Well, we’re a double award-winning, high-performing council with a growing economy, a thriving town centre and some truly impressive outcomes in our communities. This is why we’ve been awarded Council of the Year for 2023 by the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) and The Municipal Journal (MJ).
Our excellent Children's Services has been a key part of our win; we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved not just for the council but for our partners and Barnsley.
Join us in shaping excellent services for children, young people and families
We’re looking for an ambitious and motivated Service Manager to lead and drive highquality practice across Children & Young People’s Services. This is an exciting opportunity to influence strategic development, strengthen multiagency partnerships, and ensure that children, young people and families receive timely, effective and meaningful support.
You will join a stable, supportive senior management team and play a key role in delivering high performing, child centred services that make a genuine difference across the borough.
About the Role: Service Manager – Children & Young People’s Team
As a Service Manager, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership across defined areas of Children’s Social Care and Integrated Services. In this role, you will:
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Lead, manage and inspire multiple teams, including managers and practitioners, promoting high quality, strengths based practice.
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Maintain professional oversight, risk management and high level decision making for Children in Need, Child Protection and those at risk of significant harm.
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Oversee service development, performance and resource management, ensuring services are safe, equitable and offer value for money.
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Drive multiagency collaboration with health, early years, education, and voluntary sector partners.
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Embed assessment and planning frameworks so children with additional needs receive timely, effective support.
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Represent the service in internal and external forums, influencing policy, system development and continuous improvement.
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Champion learning, development and innovation to build a skilled, confident and motivated workforce.
This is a highly influential role, suited to a confident and experienced leader who can balance strategic vision with strong practice oversight.
Working in partnership across statutory and voluntary agencies, and closely with parents and carers, you will ensure children with disabilities and their families are engaged, listened to, and receive a timely, creative and individual response. Your focus will be firmly on achieving outcomes for children and young people, ensuring that all intervention is meaningful, proportionate, and rooted in best practice.
With a strong connection to frontline practice, you will help cultivate a culture where learning, reflection and highquality practice can thrive. You will promote continuous improvement through reflective supervision, strengthsbased approaches and evidenceinformed decisionmaking.
You will also play a central role in multiagency planning, strategic development and safeguarding decisions, ensuring that children in need of protection, at risk of harm or requiring care receive a coordinated, effective and responsive service.
About You
You will be:
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A qualified and registered social worker with significant leadership experience within Children’s Services.
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An effective and inspiring manager with a proven record of driving improvement, managing change and developing highperforming teams.
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Skilled in analysing information, using performance data, and making evidenceinformed decisions.
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Experienced in partnership working, with the ability to influence and collaborate across agencies.
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Knowledgeable about legislation, statutory responsibilities and inspection frameworks relevant to children, young people and families.
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Committed to safeguarding, quality assurance and delivering excellent outcomes.
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Able to work flexibly, including participation in the senior management oncall rota.
We welcome applicants with strong values, ambition, and a genuine commitment to improving the lives of children and their families.
What We Offer
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A comprehensive induction, regular supervision and a strong culture of learning and development.
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Opportunities for CPD, leadership development and professional growth.
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A supportive, inclusive workplace where your contribution is valued.
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Flexible working arrangements.
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Access to a range of employee benefits and wellbeing support.
If you feel that you have the skills, knowledge and experience to join us and work with us to achieve positive outcomes for our children, young people and families in Barnsley then we’d love to hear from you.
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Nicole Harris, Head of Service – nicoleharris@barnsley.gov.uk
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
Vacancy Exposure Profile: Exposure Profile.pdf
Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.
We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.
We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.
CVs will not be accepted.
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