Service Lead Social Work Academy

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade K. SCP 45 £ 57,139.00 - SCP 47 £ 60,036.00

Hours Per Week: 36hours

Base

Location:

Tameside One, Ashton-under-Lyne

Assessment Date
: 27 February 2026

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? Do you bring compassion, curiosity, collaboration, conversation, and courage to your practice? If so, Tameside is looking for you.

This is an exciting time to join Tameside Children’s Services. We are seeking an experienced and values driven Service Lead for the Social Work Academy to play a pivotal role in shaping practice, driving improvement and developing our workforce.

At the heart of this role is our Heart of Support Practice Approach
, underpinned by the 5 C’s Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation and Courage
. These values are the golden thread that runs through how we work with children, families and each other.

You will lead practice development and quality assurance across Children’s Services, fostering a strong learning culture focused on high quality, child centred practice. You will have strategic oversight of the Social Work Academy, aligning learning, development and assurance to support continuous improvement.

You will be supported by the Head of Quality, Practice Assurance and Principal Social Worker with a comprehensive induction, ongoing training, and regular supervision to help you reach your full potential.

We are looking for a strong, credible leader who has passion and determination to empower, enable, motivate and develop the workforce. Someone who:

• Is passionate about high quality, child centred practice and improving outcomes
• Can champion and embed the Heart
  of Support Practice Approach and the 5 C’s
• Has experience in practice development, quality assurance and workforce development
• Inspires others, builds strong relationships and influences across services
• Is reflective, resilient and able to respond to emerging priorities and inspection readiness
• Is committed to developing people and strengthening workforce stability

If you want to help shape practice, culture and learning across Children’s Services, this role offers a genuine opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Message from Jill Colbert, Director of Children’s Services

“I joined the council at the beginning of 2025 and was instantly charmed by the warmth, openness, and energy of colleagues.”

“I came to Tameside for one reason; because I know we can do fantastic things for our families here.”

“We’re a children’s service on a significant improvement journey. We know what needs to be different for our children and families and we’re ambitious to deliver that change.”

“We have a growing range of specialist services for children, where you can test and grow your skills and practice. We have a Social Work Academy that is led by people who bring passion to learning and who know that the DCS’ of the future are right in front of them. We are working on our progression pathways so that staying in Tameside is rewarded and recognised.

We have investment in innovation and improvement from the council so that we can grow services and support for families that we can sustain, from family hubs through to complex safeguarding.”

“I am so certain that we can build a proud, inclusive and safe climate for great practice to flourish in Tameside. I’d love you to join me on the journey here at Team Tameside.”

At Tameside, we believe in:

• Compassion understanding the lived experiences of children and families.
• Curiosity asking questions that lead to deeper insight and better outcomes for children.
• Collaboration working together across services to deliver joined‑up support.
• Conversation listening and engaging meaningfully with children, families and professionals.
• Courage leading with courage, making bold and compassionate decisions that put children first.

At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive,…