MASH Service Manager

Job Title: MASH Service Manager
Starting Salary: £61,443 + £7,332 market enhanced payment progressing to £68,775 + £6,666 market enhanced payment per annum
Weekly Hours: 37
Base Location: Farnham House, Stevenage / hybrid working model with travel required
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Children's' Services

We are looking for an innovative and experienced social work manager to join the Assessment Service as our MASH Service Manager, leading the Gateway.

About the team

The Gateway is Hertfordshire Children’s Service’s countywide front door where contacts and referrals for children are considered and triaged. The Gateway includes around 50 Children’s Services staff who work across two Multi Agency Safeguarding Hubs, one Early Help Pod and our Social Care Advice Pod EHCP (SCAPE) providing bespoke and meaningful social care advice for Hertfordshire’s children who are not open to a social care practitioner to support their education health care assessment. Colleagues from health, police and probation are co-located and work in strong partnership, including information sharing and joint decision-making.

About the role

The role of a MASH Service Manager is responsible for the overall high performance and running of the Gateway.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the overall performance and operation of the MASH Gateway service
• Build and maintain strong strategic partnerships with multi-agency professionals (health, police, probation)
• Work collaboratively within a co-located multi-agency team supporting joint decision-making and information sharing
• Oversee daily performance data and ensure timely, lawful information sharing
• Report into and be accountable to the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership MASH Executive
• Manage and support 3 direct-report Team Managers, fostering strong leadership across the service
• Create a positive, unified culture where practitioners feel valued, supported, and empowered
• Promote high standards of practice, professional accountability, and a culture of learning
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-energy environment with opportunities for professional growth
• Embrace innovation and technology to improve service delivery and referral processes

About you

Essential:

• Social Work Qualified and registered with Social Work England
• Full UK driving licence and regular access to a vehicle
• Proven leadership and management experience (including managing/leading managers or teams)
• Strong experience of working within a multi-agency environment (e.g. health, police, probation, or safeguarding partnerships)
• Excellent knowledge of safeguarding practice and multi-agency decision-making processes
• Demonstrable ability to manage service performance, including use of data to drive improvement
• In-depth understanding of lawful information sharing (including data protection and safeguarding legislation)
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to contribute at senior/partnership level
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to lead and maintain a positive, high-performing team culture
• Experience of supporting and developing staff, promoting accountability and continuous learning
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
• Experience of working collaboratively with partner agencies to improve outcomes
• Confidence in driving service improvement, transformation, and use of technology

This is an exceptional development opportunity to join Hertfordshire's Assessment Service. We welcome you bringing creativity and flair, and we will consistently support you within our high performing management structure.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 14. Please locate the job profile here: Job profiles - Health and social care

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Caroline Ash - Head of Assessment (07977142777 / caroline.ash@hertfordshire.gov.uk) for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 16th June (Face to Face - Stevenage Office)

Benefits of working for us
How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.