Service Manager, Adult Social Care (Mental Health, Adult Learning Disabilities and In House provider
| Posting date: | 18 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £50,001.00 to £110,000.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £55,591 - £58,883 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 14 December 2025 |
| Location: | Darlington, DL1 5QT |
| Company: | Darlington Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 288699 |
Summary
Darlington Borough Council Adult Social Care (ASC) have an exciting opportunity to join our Adult Leadership Team as a Service Manager to provide leadership and management to the Adult Learning Disability, Mental Health and Learning Disability In House provider teams.
The successful applicant will provide operational leadership for a range of services ensuring application of strength and asset approach within assessment and compliance with statutory responsibilities for adults and be accountable for performance, quality and budget management.
andnbsp;
Working knowledge of legal frameworks such as; The Care Act 2014, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty as well as Court of Protection applications is essential.
The successful Service Manager is required to adopt a collaborative, whole team approach within the Adult Leadership Team; not working in silo within their own area;andnbsp; understanding the interface and interdependency of a whole team approach.
We have an exciting transformation plan with a key focus of enabling new ways of working and embracing technological changes to enable demand to be managed within current resource.
Within Darlington ASC we have an approach of high suppot high challenge, we are proud of our staff retention levels and staff report they feel valued, listened to and supported with development and learning needs.
Applicants must be; Social Work Qualified and registered with SWE or an equivalent level qualification within another relevant field (e.g. health or health allied professions), and have Approx. 3 years post qualifying experience at senior practitioner level in a similar role and Approx. 3 years relevant experience in a management role within social care including managing teams, partnership working and development and implementation of strategies, policies and procedures.
andnbsp;
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
Flexi-time scheme
Flexible working
Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
Staff equality forums
Green Car Leasing Scheme
Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
Physiotherapy service
Confidential counselling service
Great wellbeing offer
Cycle to Work Scheme
Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
Local and National retailer discounts
Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
Arriva Employee Travel Club
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what itandrsquo;s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and Person Specification.
General Information for Applicants:
For a further informal discussion and any queries around the role profile and jobs itself please contact the manager on If interested please contact Barbara Beadle (Head of Service Adult Social Care) onandnbsp;01325 405125 or work mobile 07384 457185 or email barbara.beadle@darlington.gov.uk for an informal discussion.andnbsp;andnbsp;
If you have any further questions regarding applying for this role or the questions and required fields within the application form, please contact the HR Support team on 01325 403217 or HR@darlington.gov.uk.
If you are experiencing problems with the NE Jobs website, such as logging in, saving pages, on account queries please fill out the form within the link below.
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/contactus
All applicant email correspondence will come from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.
andnbsp;
We are an equal opportunitiesand#39; employer. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We aim to interview any applicant who declares a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job.
The successful applicant will provide operational leadership for a range of services ensuring application of strength and asset approach within assessment and compliance with statutory responsibilities for adults and be accountable for performance, quality and budget management.
andnbsp;
Working knowledge of legal frameworks such as; The Care Act 2014, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty as well as Court of Protection applications is essential.
The successful Service Manager is required to adopt a collaborative, whole team approach within the Adult Leadership Team; not working in silo within their own area;andnbsp; understanding the interface and interdependency of a whole team approach.
We have an exciting transformation plan with a key focus of enabling new ways of working and embracing technological changes to enable demand to be managed within current resource.
Within Darlington ASC we have an approach of high suppot high challenge, we are proud of our staff retention levels and staff report they feel valued, listened to and supported with development and learning needs.
Applicants must be; Social Work Qualified and registered with SWE or an equivalent level qualification within another relevant field (e.g. health or health allied professions), and have Approx. 3 years post qualifying experience at senior practitioner level in a similar role and Approx. 3 years relevant experience in a management role within social care including managing teams, partnership working and development and implementation of strategies, policies and procedures.
andnbsp;
The rewards for working at Darlington Borough Council go beyond the salary you will receive; we have numerous additional benefits such as:
32 days Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays, with option to purchase additional Annual Leave (pro-rata for part time working)
Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme with option to make Additional Voluntary Contributions
Flexi-time scheme
Flexible working
Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave schemes
Staff equality forums
Green Car Leasing Scheme
Access to a wide range of training, learning and development
Physiotherapy service
Confidential counselling service
Great wellbeing offer
Cycle to Work Scheme
Dolphin Centre Fit for Life Discounts
Local and National retailer discounts
Vivup employee benefit app and Lifestyle Savings
Arriva Employee Travel Club
For the full range of benefits we offer, please see our Why work for us internet page, which also includes our Total Reward Booklet and Employee Benefit Video.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/why-work-for-us/
Find out further information about us and what itandrsquo;s like to work for our great team by visiting the Jobs and Careers home page.
https://www.darlington.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/
For detailed information on this role, please refer to the Role Profile and Person Specification.
General Information for Applicants:
For a further informal discussion and any queries around the role profile and jobs itself please contact the manager on If interested please contact Barbara Beadle (Head of Service Adult Social Care) onandnbsp;01325 405125 or work mobile 07384 457185 or email barbara.beadle@darlington.gov.uk for an informal discussion.andnbsp;andnbsp;
If you have any further questions regarding applying for this role or the questions and required fields within the application form, please contact the HR Support team on 01325 403217 or HR@darlington.gov.uk.
If you are experiencing problems with the NE Jobs website, such as logging in, saving pages, on account queries please fill out the form within the link below.
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/contactus
All applicant email correspondence will come from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk and may be directed to your Junk folder depending on the settings of your email account. Please check both your email and Junk folder as all applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted.
You must ensure that anything submitted in your application is factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Whilst we accept candidates may use AI tools within job applications; submissions must be truthful and relevant to your own experience.
andnbsp;
We are an equal opportunitiesand#39; employer. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We aim to interview any applicant who declares a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job.