Job Introduction This permanent role has a starting salary of £56,439 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. We’re delighted to be expanding our Mental Health Social Work offer within Children’s Services and are now recruiting for a Senior Specialist Mental Health Social Work Manager. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people experiencing emotional and mental health challenges. We’re looking for someone to lead and develop the Mental Health Social Work (MHSW) Team within Children’s Services, ensuring high-quality, trauma-informed support for children and young people experiencing emotional and mental health challenges. This role will strengthen practice links between Children’s Services and Mindworks, enhance resilience within the team, and improve outcomes for vulnerable children. We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week) and support working from home the rest of the time. Our Offer to You 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents. About The Role This is a pivotal role that will lead and shape the delivery of mental health expertise across children's services and partner agencies. You will oversee the allocation of social care referrals to the team, ensuring that referrals are triaged promptly and that children and families receive a timely and appropriate response. Working at both an operational and strategic level, you will attend complex strategy meetings where mental health is a significant factor, contribute to effective discharge planning, and champion the embedding of trauma-informed practice across services. As a recognised specialist in emotional wellbeing and mental health, you will play a key role in building capability across the system by designing and delivering training for both internal colleagues and external partners. You will represent the service at provider collaborative and public health meetings, ensuring that learning, emerging themes and best practice are shared effectively to inform service development and improve outcomes for children and families. You will also be responsible for producing quarterly impact reports and developing an annual training offer that supports continuous improvement and strategic planning. The role includes line management and clinical supervision responsibilities, providing leadership, support and professional oversight to Mental Health Social Workers (MHSWs). You will foster a culture of reflective practice by ensuring that regular group supervision and reflective forums are convened, creating opportunities to explore complex cases, share learning and identify emerging themes. This position will make a significant contribution to the implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme, helping to develop, strengthen and sustain partnerships across the Surrey health and social care landscape. The role will also be instrumental in supporting services through local government reorganisation in Surrey, helping to maintain high-quality support for children with complex mental health needs during a period of change. Through proactive collaboration, strategic influence and system leadership, you will help drive a coordinated approach to emotional wellbeing and mental health, ensuring children and families continue to receive excellent, joined-up support. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours : Qualified Social Worker or equivalent level professional qualification plus substantial experience at a management level Significant experience in mental health practice. Strong leadership and supervisory skills, including clinical supervision. Ability to work collaboratively across multi-agency systems. Knowledge of the Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act (2005), and safeguarding frameworks. Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organisational skills. To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 2 questions: What interests you about working with adolescents with complex mental health presentation? Describe your suitability for this role based on the job description and person specification. Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey. An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 01/11/2026 with interviews planned to follow. Contact Us Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Jan Smith by e-mail at jan.smith@surreycc.gov.uk . Local Government Organisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1st April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is East Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council . Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

Attachments