Service Manager – Children with Disabilities (Family Support and safeguarding Service)

We are seeking a passionate and experienced Service Manager to lead our Children with Disabilities (CWD) service in Newham. This is a strategic leadership role within Children’s Services, responsible for ensuring that children and young people with disabilities receive high-quality, personalised support that promotes their safety, wellbeing, and development.

This is a unique role that combines leadership of the Children with Disabilities service with strategic oversight of three Family Support and Safeguarding Teams. You will provide operational and strategic leadership across Child in Need (CiN), Child Protection (CP), Public Law Outline (PLO), and care proceedings, ensuring that safeguarding practice is robust, child-centred, and compliant with statutory frameworks. The Family Support and Safeguarding service enhances the family shared, relational values that were already at the centre of our practice and will continue the evolution of our firmly embedded Circles of Support practice model. We are keeping children at the heart of everything we do whilst improving the overall experience of the families, partners, and social workers in our sphere.

You will oversee 2 (CWD) teams delivering statutory social work services, short breaks, and transition planning. A key part of the role involves managing and developing our Short Breaks Service, which provides essential respite and enriching experiences for children and young people with disabilities, while supporting families to maintain resilience and stability.

You will also lead on Preparing for Adulthood pathways, working closely with Adult Social Care, health, education, and housing partners to ensure smooth and well-supported transitions. You will oversee the development and review of care packages, ensuring they are tailored, cost-effective, and meet assessed needs. As part of this, you will represent Children’s Services at the Multi-Agency Joint Funding Panel, contributing to decisions on complex packages of care requiring cross-agency collaboration.

In line with the national social care reforms, you will play a key role in embedding early intervention, improving placement stability, and ensuring financial transparency and accountability in service delivery.