Service Manager

We're looking for an experienced, strategic and passionate Service Manager to lead our Assessment Service at Dudley Children's Services. This is a pivotal leadership role where you will oversee multiple teams at the front door, ensuring consistency, quality of practice, and strong decision-making for children and families at the earliest point of contact. You will play a key role in setting the direction of the service, driving improvement, and ensuring children receive the right help at the right time. Reporting to the Principal Service Lead, you will work as part of a strong leadership team to support delivery, manage demand and embed high-quality, child-centred practice across all assessment teams. If you are a confident leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to making a meaningful difference-this could be the role for you. As Service Manager, you will:

• Provide leadership and oversight to Team Managers across the Assessment Service
• Work closely with the Service Managers and Principal Service Leads in Family Help to manage demand across areas
• Drive consistency of practice, performance, and decision-making across all teams
• Ensure the delivery of timely, high-quality assessments that are analytical and outcome-focused
• Maintain oversight of risk, thresholds and safeguarding decisions at the front door
• Lead on service development and continuous improvement, embedding best practice across teams
• Manage service demand and performance, ensuring resources are used effectively
• Support and develop Team Managers to deliver strong leadership and high standards of practice
• Work closely with partners to ensure a coordinated, multi-agency approach
• Contribute to strategic planning and service direction alongside the Principal Service Lead, At Dudley Children's Services, we are committed to innovation, continuous improvement, and putting children first.
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:
• Lead a critical front-line service, shaping practice at the earliest stage of a child's journey
• Drive consistency and excellence across multiple teams
• Work as part of a supportive and ambitious senior leadership team
• Influence service-wide improvement and strategic direction
• Benefit from hybrid working, with an expectation of 3 in-person office-based days per week
This is your opportunity to lead at scale-shaping how Dudley responds to children and families at first contact, driving consistent, high-quality practice, and ensuring the right decisions are made at the right time. If you're ready to lead with impact, influence practice at scale, and drive meaningful change-we'd love to hear from you.

You're someone who:
• Is a qualified and highly experienced social worker, with substantial leadership experience in management in children's services
• Has a strong understanding of front door services, thresholds, and assessment practice
• Brings experience of leading managers and driving service-wide improvements
• Is confident making complex decisions in high-pressure environments
• Has a track record of improving performance, quality and outcomes for children
• Is a strong communicator, able to influence, challenge and support at all levels
• Is committed to delivering consistent, high-quality, child-centred practice across services
  
  About Dudley Council
It's an incredibly exciting time to work in Dudley Council as we embark on numerous multi-million pound regeneration schemes which will be real game-changers for the borough. In addition to the exciting schemes such as the Midland Metro we also have the ongoing and very serious challenges of ensuring vulnerable people across the borough receive the services they deserve. At Dudley Council we have a 'one council' ethos that builds an effective and dynamic organisation which grows the economy and creates jobs, creating a cleaner and greener place and supports stronger and safer communities. We are rightly proud to be the historic capital of the Black Country and, working with our partners, Dudley Council is also committed to looking forward and helping to deliver our borough vision of 'Forge a Future for all' www.dudleyboroughvision2030.org.uk We ensure communities influence council decisions and are committed to delivering services in partnership with communities. We provide flexible and responsive service in partnership and help communities help themselves. In joining a local authority that serves 320,000 residents you will become an integral part of a council that:
• is ready to embrace change, providing an environment in which you will be encouraged to make your mark
• is aware of its key challenges and the need for a new energy to innovate the council, in order to find cost effective ways of delivering services
• has aligned its political and managerial leadership structures and is committed to protecting, securing and transforming the lives of children, families, the vulnerable and older people
• wants borough residents to have their say through our community forums
• dedicates time to meaningful consultation and listen to the views of our residents
• is working with the community to encourage active involvement of our residents