Salary: £81,049 to £83,932 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Negotiable – Base can be either Workington or Carlisle
Contract:
About this opportunity
Cumberland Council is seeking a Senior Manager to join our Children and Family Wellbeing Service. This is a permanent leadership role with responsibility for the effective delivery of the Children’s assessment and support service (front door) and safeguarding services to children and families — including those subject to Child in Need and Child Protection plans, as well as children and young people within the Public Law Outline and Court proceedings.
As a Senior Manager, you’ll provide strategic leadership, management oversight, and visible direction to ensure high standards of practice and service delivery. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping early permanence planning, driving practice improvement, and leading complex and high-risk work with children and families.
This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact, working in partnership, CAFCASS, the judiciary, Cumbria Police, health colleagues, and education services to ensure a whole-system approach from the point of contact with services through to safeguarding and improving outcomes for children and young people.
The role offers flexibility to be based at either our Workington office (West Cumbria House) or our Carlisle office (Cumbria House).
This role is available on a permanent basis.
Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for an experienced and inspirational leader who is passionate about safeguarding and improving the lives of children and families. You’ll bring:
- A recognised social work qualification (Honours Degree or equivalent).
- Extensive experience in services for children in need of help and protection.
- Proven leadership in managing teams, budgets, and high-risk, complex casework.
- Strong skills in building and influencing partnerships across agencies.
- Strategic vision and a commitment to learning, innovation, and continuous improvement.
You’ll be someone who can lead with confidence, inspire colleagues, and contribute to a culture of positivity and support, while maintaining a focus on achieving the best outcomes for children and young people.
We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious, collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.
We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.
Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.
Contact
For more information about the role or to arrange an informal chat prior to your application, please contact Joe Banham (Assistant Director – Social Care) by email at [email protected]
DBS Checks
This role requires a DBS check.
The level of check for this role is - Enhanced DBS Check with a Children’s Barred List check.
Please note this role involves working in regulated activity with Children. It is an offence for people who are barred from working in regulated activity to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with Children.
Guaranteed Interviews
We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.
- Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
- Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
- Those who identify as a member of the British Armed Forces community (service leavers, veterans, their partners or spouses, reservists, cadets).
If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.
Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments
We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Leader and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.
If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing [email protected]. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.
Application and Interview information
- Closing date: 04/08/2026
- Interview date: 13/08/2026
If you experience any difficulties logging in to apply for this role, please contact the HR Systems team at [email protected].
Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.
