How to become a social services manager or director
Official title: Social services managers and directors
Also called: Manager, Unit manager, Foyer manager, Service manager, Support manager, Locality manager, Registered manager, Social work manager, Safeguarding director, Commissioning manager, Social services manager, Director of safeguarding
Social services managers and directors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the resources and commission the services necessary to protect the welfare of certain groups within local authorities including children and young people, families under stress, people with disabilities, elderly people and people needing help as a result of illness.
Main tasks
- Provides leadership and management to ensure services are delivered in accordance with statutory requirements and in line with the local authority social services department’s policies and procedures
- Determines staffing, financial, material and other short and long-term needs
- Plans work schedules, assigns tasks and delegates responsibilities of social services staff
- Monitors and evaluates departmental performance with a view to improving social service provision
- Studies and advises upon changes in legislation that will impact upon social service provision
- Liaises with representatives of other relevant agencies
How to become one
Entry is usually through internal promotion for those with the appropriate professional qualifications and relevant experience. Post-qualifying professional qualifications and in-service training are available.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £48,549 a year The middle half earn £38,696 to null.
- About 49,300 people work in this job now, and about 54,000 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a social services manager or director?
Entry is usually through internal promotion for those with the appropriate professional qualifications and relevant experience. Post-qualifying professional qualifications and in-service training are available.
How much does a social services manager or director earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £48,549 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a social services manager or director a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 49,300 to about 54,000 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a social services manager or director?
Usually. 73% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03