Senior Manager - Child and Youth Justice Service

Senior Manager, Child and Youth Justice Service

Education and Children’s Services – Lancashire County CouncilSalary: £68,225 – £74,531Location: Lancashire, Countywide (Hybrid)

Lead With Purpose. Transform Futures.

Some leadership roles are about managing services. This one is about changing futures.

As Senior Manager within Lancashire Child and Youth Justice Service, you’ll lead services supporting children and young people at critical points in their lives, shaping how we deliver child-first, trauma-informed practice across Lancashire.

You’ll inspire teams, influence partners and help create a service that gives young people the opportunity to move forward and achieve their potential.

This is senior leadership where your impact really matters.

About the Role

You’ll provide strategic and operational leadership across specialist teams, working closely with the Head of Service to drive performance, quality and continuous improvement.

You’ll lead high-quality practice, ensure risk and safeguarding are managed effectively and oversee performance, resources and budgets. Partnership working will be central to your role, bringing together professionals and agencies around children and young people while ensuring their voices and those of their families shape the services they receive.

It’s a significant leadership opportunity to influence the future of youth justice across Lancashire.

About You

You’ll be an experienced children’s social care leader with a strong understanding of youth justice and the criminal justice system, and a track record of leading high-performing teams through change and improvement.

You’ll be confident making complex decisions, managing risk and performance and building strong relationships across organisational boundaries. Most importantly, you’ll be a leader who can bring people with you while keeping children and young people at the heart of your decisions.

You’ll need a minimum of four years’ management or leadership experience within children’s social care and must be a professionally qualified and registered Social Worker, meeting Social Work England professional standards. You’ll also hold a management qualification or have undertaken significant management training.

Why Join Us?

A workplace built on trust, balance and flexibility

We want our leaders to have the support and flexibility they need to perform at their best. You’ll join an organisation where trusted leadership, wellbeing and collaboration are central to how we work.

Development that grows with you

You’ll have the opportunity to influence a critical area of Children’s Services, working alongside senior leaders and partners while helping shape future services, practice and workforce development across Lancashire.

A culture grounded in inclusivity

Our values are supportive, innovative, respectful and collaborative. We want leaders who create inclusive teams, listen to children and families and empower people to deliver their best work.

How to Apply

Please demonstrate how you meet the criteria outlined in the Job Description and Person Specification and attach a supporting statement and resume.

We’re looking for a leader who can bring people with them, champion child-first practice and help shape the future of youth justice across Lancashire.

Closing Date: Sunday 1st NovemberInterviews: TBC

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Job Description and Person Specification