> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/1495730-service-manager-family-help-swq](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1495730-service-manager-family-help-swq). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Service Manager Family Help (SWQ) - **Company:** Dorset Council - **Location:** Blandford Forum, UK - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** £59,475.0 - £66,191.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Service Design, Service Development Studio - **Published:** July 30, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.adzuna.co.uk/jobs/details/5820035360 ## About the Role 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. ## Description 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. 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