Interim Service Manager IFD / MASH / EDT / Early Help Hubs
Location: Cambridgeshire
Base: HEX Cambridgeshire Police Headquarters
Working Pattern: Approximately 3 days per week at HEX, with flexibility to travel as required
Contract: Interim / Temporary
We are currently recruiting for an experienced Interim Service Manager to lead within the Integrated Front Door (IFD), covering MASH, Emergency Duty Team (EDT) and Early Help Hubs.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced social work manager who can provide strong operational leadership, manage risk and drive high-quality safeguarding practice across a fast-paced front-door service.
The Role
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing, developing and continuously improving the delivery of a high-quality, effective and responsive social work service for children and families.
You will ensure that children and families receive timely interventions that are consistent with statutory requirements, national standards and effective safeguarding practice.
A key part of the role will be managing risk and ensuring the safe and effective delivery of services to children living in complex family circumstances, including children assessed as being at risk of significant harm and children for whom the Local Authority acts as Corporate Parent.
You will provide visible leadership across the service, supporting managers and practitioners to make sound, evidence-based decisions and achieve positive outcomes for children.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strong operational and professional leadership across IFD, MASH, EDT and Early Help Hubs.
- Manage and oversee safeguarding practice, ensuring children are appropriately assessed and protected from harm.
- Provide advice, challenge and management oversight on complex and high-risk cases.
- Ensure effective threshold decision-making, screening, information-sharing and referrals.
- Manage risk effectively and ensure appropriate escalation where required.
- Ensure practice is compliant with relevant legislation, statutory guidance and local procedures.
- Drive continuous improvement in social work practice, performance and service delivery.
- Monitor team performance, quality and outcomes, taking appropriate action where standards are not met.
- Support managers and practitioners with complex casework and professional decision-making.
- Ensure timely and appropriate responses to children and families in need of support or protection.
- Promote effective partnership working across children's services and with Police, Health, Education and other multi-agency partners.
- Contribute to service development, quality assurance and improvement activity.
- Ensure the service operates effectively within a multi-agency safeguarding environment.
- Provide strong leadership during periods of high demand and manage competing priorities effectively.
What We re Looking For
You will be an experienced Children's Social Care Service Manager / Senior Manager with significant experience of working within a safeguarding and front-door environment.
You should have:
- A recognised Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration.
- Significant management experience within Children's Social Care.
- Strong experience of MASH / IFD / Front Door / EDT / Early Help environments.
- Extensive safeguarding and child protection experience.
- Proven experience of managing complex and high-risk cases.
- Strong knowledge of statutory children's social care requirements and safeguarding practice.
- Experience of managing performance, quality and practice standards.
- Excellent risk assessment and decision-making skills.
- Strong multi-agency partnership experience, particularly with Police and other safeguarding partners.
- The ability to provide confident professional challenge and management oversight.
- Experience of leading teams through periods of significant demand and change.
- Strong communication, leadership and organisational skills.
Important Requirement
You must be able to travel to HEX Cambridgeshire Police Headquarters approximately 3 days per week.
This is an important requirement of the role due to the multi-agency nature of the IFD/MASH service.
Why Apply?
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced children's social care manager to take on a senior interim position within a high-profile, multi-agency safeguarding service, working alongside Police and other key partners to ensure children and families receive safe, timely and effective support.
Apply now with your CV and our team will be in touch to discuss the role in more detail.
