Knowsley Council is an award-winning Local Authority, named Local Authority of the Year in the Municipal Journal Awards 2024.

We are an Accredited employer under the Liverpool City Region Fair Employment Charter, demonstrating that we are committed to the principle of fair employment and we are dedicated to providing a healthy, fair, inclusive and just workplace.

Our local authority is in a strong financial position, with a balanced budget that ensures stability and growth. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a Senior Leadership Team committed to making a positive impact in our community.

Three New Opportunities to Lead, Shape and Strengthen Services for Children

At Knowsley, we are ambitious for our children, young people and families. As part of our continued investment in Children's Social Care, we are creating three additional permanent Service Manager posts to further strengthen our established senior leadership team, increase management capacity and bring additional expertise to key areas of practice.

These new roles reflect our commitment to building high-quality services, supporting our workforce and ensuring children, young people and families receive the very best help, protection and care.

These are exciting opportunities to join a strong and stable management team at a time of continued development and improvement.

We are recruiting to:

• Service Manager – Children in Need and Child Protection
• Service Manager – Cared For Children
• Service Manager – Care Experienced People

As a Service Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, drive high-quality practice and continuous improvement, and work alongside talented colleagues and partners to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

We're looking for inspirational leaders who:

• Have a strong track record within Children's Social Care.
• Can develop and support high-performing teams.
• Are passionate about achieving excellent outcomes for children and families.
• Thrive in collaborative partnership environments.
• Bring energy, innovation and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Why Knowsley?

This is an exciting time to join us. We're investing in our leadership capacity, strengthening our services and creating the conditions for great practice to thrive. If you're looking for an opportunity to influence, innovate and make a lasting difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help shape the next chapter of Children's Social Care in Knowsley.

To find out more please visit the microsite: -

https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/senior-officer-recruitment

At Knowsley Council we will consider requests for flexible working.  For most roles, the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, working from home, compressed hours, part-time

We welcome applications from residents and beyond, regardless of background, belief, or identity, recognising the value that diversity brings to our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and candidates with disabilities as we acknowledge their underrepresentation in our workforce.

Please note sponsorship is not available for this role.

See the benefits of working for Knowsley MBC https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/yes.

Curious about how much a pension with Knowsley Council could be worth? Take a look at this public sector pension calculator to find out

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applicants.

At Knowsley we value our applicants and want them to feel well-informed and welcomed. If you have any questions about this specific job role or what it is like to work at Knowsley, please contact

• Laverne Bell-Jones – Head of Family Help and Protection for Service Manager (Children in Need and Child Protection at Laverne.BellJones@knowsley.gov.uk, Telephone: 07553 620733

• Laura Doyle – Head of Permanence and Sufficiency for Service Manager (Cared for Children) and Service Manager (Care Experienced People) at Laura.Doyle@Knowsley.gov.uk, Telephone: 0151 443 2337

Interviews are likely to take place 4 and 11 September 2026

If you are interested in this vacancy, please upload your CV along with a supporting statement as one document in PDF or Word format. Your CV and supporting statement should be tailored to reflect the competencies within the person specification.

Please note if a CV and supporting statement does not reflect the person specification it is unlikely to be shortlisted