Service Manager - CYPL Practice Systems
| Posting date: | 30 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £64,682 to £68,330 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 13 February 2026 |
| Location: | Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RG |
| Company: | West Sussex County Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | CAFHE06148_1769771679 |
Summary
About the Role
Salary: £64,682 to £68,330 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract - 1 Year
Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week
Location: Based at County Hall, Chichester (Hybrid working available, to be discussed at interview)
We're looking for a Service Manager to join our CYPL Practice Systems team. This is an excellent opportunity to further your professional development as a strategic leader. In this role, you will provide high‑quality leadership to support Children's Services' performance and operational needs, ensuring that practice systems are effective, efficient and continuously improved. You will develop plans that align with national, departmental and wider council outcomes, while working closely with partners such as Adult Social Care, the NHS, Public Health, Education, Police, Probation and Mental Health Services. A key part of your role will be ensuring that recording practices are accurate and robust, supporting safeguarding, statutory submissions, GDPR compliance and our commitment to maintaining a "single view of the child" approach. This is a high-impact role that shapes how services operate and improve for the benefit of children, young people and families. Reporting to the Service Director, you will lead the strategic and operational maintenance, development, and governance of all CYPL Practice Systems.
You will bring significant senior-level experience of working in partnership across complex, multi‑agency environments, demonstrating your ability to collaborate effectively with a broad range of stakeholders. Your strong understanding of Children's Social Care, Learning and Health will enable you to navigate the challenges and nuances of services that support children, young people and families. You will have a proven track record of leading and delivering change processes, showing resilience, strategic thinking and the ability to drive transformation in high‑pressure or evolving contexts. Alongside this, you will possess a high level of political awareness, with a clear understanding of how political, financial and legislative factors influence services and shape operational priorities. As an innovative and confident leader, you will excel at influencing, negotiating and inspiring others, driving improvements across systems, teams and partner organisations to deliver positive and sustainable outcomes.
Required Skills and Experience
Key Skills
- Ability to make sound pragmatic problem-solving decisions, which will have a wider service impact and could be business critical, including the ability to tackle difficult problems of a technical, professional, resource or people related nature using existing policies, procedures and knowledge to devise approaches.
- Ability to give detailed expert, technical and management advice and use considerable judgement to define and resolve problems and identify solutions without clear guidance.
- Effective research and planning skills to construct creative solutions to ensure the successful delivery of service provision working on a time horizon of a number of years. Ability to set & monitor objectives/timescales and meet planned activities, projects and reviews. Ability to challenge existing practices, processes and activities and identify and deliver innovative solutions and alternative courses of action.
- Highly developed communication skills in order to persuade, negotiate or influence within or outside the organisation to achieve challenging/sensitive objectives and ensure implementation of solutions.
- Sound partnership working skills with the ability to develop and manage effective links and relationships across and outside of the organisation and co-ordinate a range of partners to successfully deliver objectives. Demonstrable ability to work in a co-production model with those who may access services, their families and other key stakeholders.
- Effective people management and performance management skills with the ability to lead and inspire, providing direction and support to individuals and teams.
Qualifications and Experience
- A recognised professional Social Work Qualification e.g. Degree in Social Work, DipSW, CQSW or equivalent as recognised by Social Work England (SWE).
- A recognised post qualifying award in Social Work or demonstrable evidence of continuous professional development at a similar level and to demonstrate practice in Social Work in line with the Professional Capabilities Framework - Strategic Level as defined by SWE.
- Post holders will be required to undertake post qualifying training and maintain records of training in line with SWE requirements.
- A current SWE Registration and responsibility for maintaining registration with SWE.
- Expert relevant experience in specialist area, including sound relevant operational experience, for example, working as an operational Social Care Team Manager.
For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.
Benefits and Rewards
As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including:
For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.
About us
Here at West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to improving our services for the children and families in West Sussex we support. You will join us as at a key time on our improvement journey. The work we have started includes establishing a new and experienced senior leadership team, driving forward our 'Children First' improvement plan and implementing the Family Safeguarding Practice Model. You will be trained in motivational interviewing, to support our strengths-based approach to working with families and creating lasting change for children.
We don't underestimate the work that still needs to be undertaken and the challenge ahead, we are confident in our approach and excited about the changes occurring. That's why we need professionals, like you, who really want to be part of the positive change that is happening for children. Be part of an ambitious improvement plan and make a significant difference to children and families in West Sussex. There has never been a more rewarding time to join.
For further information about us and about working in Children's Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex.
Further information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE06148.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Nigel Alner (Service Manager) at . For issues or queries regarding your application please contact .
To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 3 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact .
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.