Service Manager Family Help (SWQ)

We are a high performing, motivated, enthusiastic and reflective authority, offering high support and high challenge. We work to a restorative Thrive model, with a focus on building trusting relationships. We are looking to recruit an experienced leader for our Family Help service in the North Locality.

• Providing strategic and operational leadership to ensure children and young people are safeguarded, protected from harm and receive timely, effective support that improves outcomes.
• Leading and developing high-quality Family Help services across the locality, ensuring children, young people and families receive the right help at the right time across the continuum of need.
• Managing and supporting Team Managers and practitioners through effective leadership, supervision, oversight and decision-making.
• Driving a culture of continuous improvement, using performance information and insight to inform service planning and improve outcomes for children and families.
• Championing Dorset’s ambition to provide help earlier, working restoratively and delivering strengths-based, relationship-focused support.
• Building strong partnerships across Health, Education, Early Years, Police and the voluntary and community sector to ensure seamless support for families.
• Leading the development of effective multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working, embedding a whole-family approach to practice.
• Ensuring the voices of children, young people and families are central to service design, planning and delivery.
• Taking responsibility for service development, strategic projects and county-wide priorities, contributing to the wider leadership of Children’s Services.
• Creating an environment where staff feel supported, empowered and motivated to deliver outstanding services to Dorset’s children and families., This is an exciting opportunity for a registered Social Worker and experienced leader to help shape Dorset’s Family Help transformation, ensuring children and families receive the right support at the right time and achieve the best possible outcomes. For an informal discussion, please contact Head of Locality for North, Kath Saunders ([email protected]). This post requires significant travel. You must have a driver’s licence and vehicle available for use as needed. Interviews will be scheduled week commencing 17th August 2026. This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders. See our policy on safeguarding children and young people. See our adult safeguarding policy.

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Social Work leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people and families. You will bring strong safeguarding expertise, a commitment to relationship-based practice and the ability to lead services, people and partnerships with confidence and integrity., * Have a Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.

• Extensive experience of leading in children’s services.
• A proven track record of delivering high-quality services that safeguard children, improve outcomes and respond effectively to the needs of children and families.
• Experience of leading, motivating and developing multidisciplinary teams, creating a culture of high support, high challenge and continuous learning.
• Strong knowledge of child protection, safeguarding responsibilities, legislation and best practice within children’s services.
• The ability to build trusted relationships and work collaboratively with partners across Health, Education, Police, Early Years and the voluntary and community sector.
• Experience of using performance information, insight and evidence to drive service improvement and deliver better outcomes.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to provide constructive challenge and inspire confidence at all levels.
• A commitment to strengths-based, restorative and relationship-focused practice that places children, young people and families at the centre of decision-making.
• The ability to think strategically while maintaining a strong focus on operational delivery, performance and service quality.
• A passion for developing communities, empowering families and ensuring that children’s voices shape the support and services they receive.

You’ll Thrive in This Role If You Are:

• An inspirational leader who empowers others to succeed.
• Passionate about achieving excellent outcomes for children, young people and families.
• Confident in leading through change, innovation and service transformation.
• Resilient, reflective and able to make sound decisions in complex and demanding situations.
• Committed to collaboration and delivering effective multi-agency solutions.
• Driven by Dorset Council’s values of being collaborative, strengths-based and restorative.

We are pleased to have an opportunity for a Family Help Service Manager (Social Work Qualified) to join Dorset at an exciting time, as we shape the future of Family Help in Dorset.

This vacancy sits in our North Locality, with offices in Blandford and Sturminster Newtown.

We’re proud that Dorset Council is a rated Outstanding authority by Ofsted for our work with children, young people and families. This reflects our strong commitment to high quality, child centred practice and the positive culture we’ve built across our services.

Leading national change

The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme sets out a major national reform of family support and child protection in England, aiming to shift the system toward earlier, more joined up help for families.

Dorset was selected as a national Pathfinder local authority for the Families First for Children programme, placing us at the forefront of developing new ways of working with children, families, and communities. Now aligned with the national guidance: The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme Guide, we are bringing together a more blended model to support our families to receive the right support and intervention, at the right time.

Our focus is on supporting families to meet the needs of their children and keeping children at home where it is safe to do so.

You will join a team of dedicated professionals in Children’s Services who, in recent months and years, have set new standards in their commitment to the well-being of children and families. Our teams bring both alternatively qualified and social work qualified colleagues together into one service.

As part of the reforms, we are developing our multi-agency child protection teams. We are introducing Lead Child Protection Practitioners within the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) and you will work closely with the MACPT to support the needs of our children who are at risk.

Here at Dorset Council, you won’t just be an employee - you’ll be a vital contributor to a legacy of positive change. Be a part of a community that values your skills, appreciates your passion, and recognises the difference you can make. Join us in creating a brighter future for children, young people, and families. Your journey towards meaningful work starts here., At Dorset Council, it’s not just about the work we do, it’s about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video: Unable to show this video due to your cookie preferences

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.