At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to improve the lives of children and families in your community.
- Company: Join ONSIDE, a values-driven organisation making a real difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, sick pay, and continuous professional development.
- Other info: Flexible working hours with a supportive environment and great work/life balance.
- Why this job: Make a positive impact on children's wellbeing and family support every day.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing teams within children's services and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 28500 - 30500 £ per year.
Salary Band: £28,500 to £30,500 FTE per annum (pro rata salary £23,108.11 to £24,729.73 per annum)
Location: Kidderminster & Redditch, Worcestershire
Closing Date: Sunday 19th July 2026
Interview Date: to be arranged
Lead a service that changes lives! Are you an experienced manager passionate about improving the lives of children, young people and families?
About the role
At ONSIDE’s Children & Families Service (Melo), we’re looking for a compassionate and inspiring leader to help shape and develop services that improve wellbeing, build resilience and create positive outcomes across Worcestershire and Herefordshire. This is an exciting opportunity to join a values-driven organisation where you’ll lead a dedicated team, influence service delivery and make a real difference in local communities every day.
As Children’s & Families Services Manager, you will provide leadership, guidance and day-to-day management to a skilled team delivering high-quality wellbeing support for children, young people and families. You will champion a positive team culture, support professional development, ensuring the service remains safe, inclusive and welcoming as well as effective and responsive to community needs. You will be managing the referrals, waiting lists and service engagement and be key in enhancing the service through developing and improving systems and processes and monitoring outcomes and attendance.
This role is for 30 hours per week, to be worked over a minimum of 4 days to include Saturday mornings from 9am to 1pm and one early evening per week up until 7pm. You will be working within our Kidderminster and Redditch locations.
Learn More About Our Work
- Company Sick Pay Scheme (after qualifying service)
- Additional Maternity & Paternity Pay (after qualifying service)
- 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to premium Calm App
- Employee Engagement Forum to ensure our employee’s voices are heard!
- Supportive working environment & good work/life balance culture
- Support with continuous professional development
Who are we looking for?
We’re looking for an experienced Children & Families Services Manager with a genuine commitment and passion for improving health, wellbeing and life outcomes for children, young people and families. You will demonstrate strong leadership and people management skills and have experience supporting staff development and performance. Therefore, experience managing or leading teams within children’s services, family support, wellbeing, community or early help services and experience in monitoring service performance and outcomes will be beneficial.
You will understand early intervention, prevention and personalised support approaches for children, young people and families. And, you will need excellent communication and relationship-building skills, be solution-focused and able to overcome challenges creatively and be organised, resilient and adaptable.
If you’re seeking a rewarding management role with purpose, impact and the opportunity to support children and families when they need it most, we’d love to hear from you!
Someone like you?
- If you embrace difference and operate with integrity.
- If you are committed to fairness and justice.
- If you are creative in your approach, can think around problems and find new ways to solve them.
- If you’re looking for a job that you can be proud of and be passionate about.
Please submit your application. These values run through our entire organisation. ONSIDE is a creative, collaborative community where people feel free to share new ideas or ask for support. If something’s not right, we don’t just change it. We change ourselves too.
Join our amazing team of skilled staff and volunteers make a difference to the lives of over 15,000 people a year!
ONSIDE reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy before the closing date.
Children & Families Services Manager employer: Onside Advocacy
ONSIDE is an exceptional employer dedicated to fostering a neuro-affirming and inclusive work culture in Herefordshire. With a strong commitment to employee wellbeing, we offer generous benefits such as 26 days of annual leave, a supportive environment for professional development, and a focus on work-life balance. Join us in making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families while growing your career in a role that values your unique experiences and contributions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Children & Families Services Manager
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Onside Advocacy.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Onside Advocacy!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Onside Advocacy, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Onside Advocacy or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Children & Families Services Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Onside Advocacy:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Onside Advocacy! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Onside Advocacy
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
