Service Manager – Family Safeguarding Services
Ref: 178600
Salary: £74,951 p.a. plus benefits
37 hours per week
Swindon Borough Council are on an exciting journey to transform service delivery. We want our town to be the best it can be. Our ambitious vision in the new Swindon Plan is supported by realistic transformation programmes, with the people of Swindon at their heart. Because that’s who we’re doing it for – the communities and businesses that make our town great. As part of the Council, you’ll support a friendly local authority making decisions with real impact. It’s all for better public services. Better processes. And a better quality of life, for everyone. Join us, and Swindon will be better with you.
Your next role
This is an important opportunity to provide strategic and operational leadership across our Family Safeguarding Services and make a tangible difference to the lives of children and families in Swindon.
As Service Manager, you will lead and develop teams to deliver consistently high-quality, child-centred practice. You will ensure that children are safeguarded effectively and that services meet statutory, regulatory and professional standards. You will create a culture in which practitioners feel supported and accountable, professional curiosity is encouraged, and reflection and learning lead to continuous improvement.
Working closely with senior leaders, partners and other services, you will use performance information, quality assurance and the experiences of children and families to understand service effectiveness and drive improvement. You will manage resources and budgets effectively, identify and manage risk, support inspection readiness and provide clear reports and assurance to senior leaders and partners.
You will confidently represent the service within the Council and across the wider safeguarding partnership. You may also be asked to provide cover for the Head of Service or Director and participate in management arrangements outside normal working hours.
We are looking for an experienced and resilient children’s social care leader who can combine strong professional judgement with warmth, integrity and ambition. You will be able to lead change, build productive relationships and maintain a clear focus on children’s experiences and outcomes, including during periods of challenge.
You will need:
- A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
- Significant leadership and management experience within children’s social care.
- A strong understanding of safeguarding legislation, statutory responsibilities and effective social work practice.
- Experience of leading service improvement and developing high-performing teams.
- The ability to use data, quality assurance and professional insight to evaluate performance and improve services.
- Strong partnership-working, communication and influencing skills.
- Experience of managing resources, budgets and organisational risk.
- Evidence of continued professional development and a commitment to reflective learning.
You must be fluent in the English language (as a requirement of Part 7 of the Immigration Act “for the effective performance of a customer-facing role”).
The ability to travel throughout the Borough will be required and access to a car
The team operates a hybrid working model with all practitioners expected to be in the office for a minimum of two days per week.
You will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check
Your next package
Please see our Rewards and Benefits offer for more details.
As an employee, you will receive a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.
For Swindon to thrive in the future, we need to lay the foundations now. It’s why our regeneration and transformation programmes are already underway. So, you’ll be joining us at an exciting time on our journey. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge, influence decisions and drive real, positive change. With your contributions, we’ll achieve our vision of a prosperous, re-vitalised Swindon together. And you’ll be proud to say it was made better with you.
Please see our Vision and Values page for more details and our new Swindon Plan.
Potential applicants are sometimes put off if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. We think individual experience, skills and passion make all the difference, so if you meet the majority of the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
Your next steps
Please read the role profile, which is available in the documents section to the righthand side of the page. To submit an application for this role, select Quick Apply.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early so early applications are encouraged.
For further information about the role please contact Tammy Lawrence, at [email protected].
As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from a diverse range of communities, and in particular disabled people and people from ethnic minorities. Read our statement of commitment to equality & inclusion.
If you are experiencing technical issues submitting your application, please email [email protected]
Closing date: 18 August 2026
