Job Description

Salary - Grade
GBP 70,992 to 73,347 70992 - PO12
Contract Type
Permanent
Contracted Hours
Full Time - 36 hours per week
DBS Required
Yes
Department
Children & Education
Service
Children & Families Service
Closing date
17/08/2025

Are you a dynamic and experienced leader passionate about making a tangible difference in the lives of children and young people? The London Borough of Hackney is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Service Manager to lead our Youth Justice Service.



Hackney's Children and Education Services offer visionary leadership, a culture of continuous learning and a climate for innovation. We are committed to improving outcomes for our children and families, recognising the impact of discrimination and disadvantage that many of our families experience. This pivotal role requires strategic, operational leadership and management to prevent offending by children and young people, guided by our 'child first' principles and a Systemic, Trauma Informed, Anti-Racist, and Restorative (STAR-R) practice model.



As Service Manager you will lead the delivery of a confident, professional and respectful service that always places children at the centre of decisions. Your strong leadership skills will enable you to mobilise and manage multi-agency professionals, commissioned partners and colleagues across all services to ensure families receive the right help at the right time, and to achieve the very best outcomes for children in Hackney. You will be responsible and accountable for ensuring the highest quality practice that meets local and national statutory requirements and delivers exemplary anti-racist, trauma informed and systemic services.



As part of our journey to be anti-racist we want our workforce to represent the community we serve and embrace diverse talent and we strongly encourage applications from Black and Global Majority Ethnic backgrounds.

Key Responsibilities:

- Provide effective leadership and management of people and resources within the designated service area.



- Support senior staff in setting strategic direction and provide expert advice on Youth Justice issues.



- Collaborate effectively with senior management, partners, external agencies, and government bodies.



- Ensure operational management of the Youth Justice Service, maintaining the highest professional standards, embedding our Systemic, Trauma Informed, Anti Racist and Restorative practice model and meeting statutory requirements.



- Strategically developing and implementing interventions to support young people's desistance from offending and antisocial behavior, and improve outcomes.

About You:

Candidates must



- Have a degree-level education



- Hold a certified and current qualification in social work, youth justice, probation, youth work, education or health, with evidence of continued professional development.



- Have substantive management and leadership experience within youth justice



- Significant experience of multi-disciplinary working and successful partnership endeavours.



- A proven track record of achieving excellence in service delivery and successful change management.



- Strong understanding of national and local initiatives in social care and youth justice, and the political framework of local government.



- Extensive knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, research, and guidance relating to youth offending, early help, and safeguarding.



- Knowledge and understanding of the impact of trauma and systemic racism, and anti-racist practice.

Special Requirements:

A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required.



You must be able and willing to provide senior management telephone cover during evenings and weekends on a rota basis and work evenings and weekends as needed.



Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.



Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn't stop there, we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.



As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.


If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV's.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications

:

17 August 2025 (22:59)

Interview date

:

W/c 1 September

2025

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.



Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.



The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk



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