Service Manager - Safeguarding, MCA and DoLs

Interviews to be held in County Hall, Chelmsford on Thursday 2^nd April

We are delighted to share an exciting opportunity for a committed and passionate senior leader to join our Safeguarding, Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty leadership team in the role of Service Manager. It represents an excellent opportunity to contribute to a high‑performing team within our busy service and the wider Adult Social Care directorate.

The Opportunity

ECC Adult Social Care, through effective practice, is moving towards a transformational shift from a focus on long-term care support, to a model with four key principles: - prevention; early intervention; enablement and safeguarding.

This will enable people, their families and carers to access information and tools, live healthily and independently and for our function an opportunity to respond pro-actively to growing service demand in a sustainable way within the financial constraints of the Council.

Service managers are the strategic link between operations and commissioning, accountable for service delivery. Leading development of policy and strategy, increasing productivity to manage demand and improve quality through innovative use of resources.

Within the Countywide service of Safeguarding and Quality Assurance, this role has direct responsibility for safeguarding teams, which include MCA & DoLS. There is a strong emphasis on collaborative working with our internal and external partners.

Accountabilities

• Service Managers provide strategic leadership across a thematic/geographic area for delivery of best possible outcomes for vulnerable adults, enabling them to live healthily and independently.
• Develop and implement effective local and countywide approaches to integrated working with delivery partners and external agencies which achieve successful delivery of targeted services.
• Responsible for delivering change within complex environments to promote and implement new ways of working
• Implement the Social Care objectives which support the wider aims of supporting adults to age well, measuring success through operational impact.
• Work collaboratively with external operational stakeholders and partnerships to develop innovative approaches through maximising potential opportunities.
• Accountable for ensuring compliance with regulations, statutory guidance and governance bodies, maintaining effective links with these bodies to monitor and improve standards.
• Responsible for the delivery of services within the agreed budget, highlighting risks and issues and non-compliance to agreed contract standards.
• Working collaboratively with Commissioners, external partners and stakeholders to ensure quality solutions meet customer needs and are cost effective.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level i.e. Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent. Current registration with Social Work England as a registered Social Worker.
• Strong leadership experience at senior management level within a Health & Care Provider environment, with a strong focus on safeguarding.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards eg professional capability framework, knowledge and skills statement.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners and stakeholders, demonstrating breadth of thinking across social care, health and the wider council and system as a whole
• Significant experience within a social care or health environment, deep understanding of current social care issues and implications for delivery at local level.
• Strong leadership and behavioural skills with the ability to focus on results forging a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds to achieve objectives
• Experience of successful delivery within a rapidly changing and ambiguous environment while managing conflicting priorities.
• Proven influencing skills with an ability to pro-actively lead and deliver cultural change to improve quality of service.

To read more about us please visit: Adult Social Care

Apply now.

For more information, please contact Abbie.Mollison@essex.gov.uk

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) ) on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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