Children's Service Manager (Operational Lead) - Solar MHST

Barnardo's; Ilford; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A children's charity is seeking a Children's Services Manager - Operational Lead to oversee mental health services in Solihull. This role requires experience in clinical leadership, team management, and a strong commitment to equality and inclusion. The successful candidate will work within a progressive service dedicated to supporting children and young people. A generous benefits package, including flexible working arrangements, is offered.

Benefits

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Matched pension contribution

Staff discounts

Access to professional training

Qualifications

• At least 3 years' experience in leading/managing within a mental health setting.
• Experience working in education settings and with multi-agency partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the MHST service to deliver safe, effective mental health support.
• Engage with commissioners and represent Barnardo's in strategic forums.
• Drive continuous improvement through data analysis and quality assurance.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Team management

Knowledge of CYP IAPT

Understanding of safeguarding

Strategic insight

Education

Qualified clinician (e.g., CBT Therapist, Counsellor, Social Worker)

Supervision qualification

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Join Barnardo's as a Children's Services Manager - Operational Lead (MHST, Solar)

Location: Solihull Borough

Please ensure you read the additional information sheet as this includes the essential and desirable criteria for this post. The CSM JD is a generic JD used throughout the organisation and therefore doesn't include all criteria

Are you a passionate, experienced clinical leader ready to shape the future of children's mental health services? Barnardo's is seeking a dynamic Children's Services Manager (CSM) to lead our Mental Health Support Team (MHST) within the Solar CAMHS partnership service in Solihull.

This is one of two new management opportunities that have arisen at Solar. This is a unique opportunity to combine clinical expertise, strategic leadership, and operational management in a fast-paced, innovative environment that puts children, young people, and families at the heart of everything we do.

If you're driven, culturally aware, and ready to take on a rewarding challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a progressive, integrated CAMHS service with rich learning opportunities.
• Lead a creative, evolving team with scope to shape service delivery.
• Work in a supportive, values-driven organisation that prioritises staff wellbeing and development.
• Enjoy a blended working model with flexibility across clinics, schools, and remote settings.

As the Operational Lead, you will:

• Lead and manage the MHST service to deliver safe, effective, and accessible mental health support across 79 schools.
• Link into the Solar PMHT and champion interoperability throughout the service.
• Influence local strategy, engage with commissioners, and represent Barnardo's in strategic forums.
• Champion co-production and ensure the voice of children and young people shapes service delivery.
• Work within a blended NHS-Barnardo's partnership, using NHS systems and collaborating closely with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Hold a small clinical caseload and provide supervision and guidance to staff.
• Drive continuous improvement through data analysis, quality assurance, and service development.

Solar is a partnership project between Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) and Barnardo's. We work together to provide emotional wellbeing and mental health services for children and young people in Solihull who are aged between 0-19, based on the principle of children and young people only needing to tell their story once. Solar utilise one clinical record and a single user led care plan, ensuring children and young people shape the service that they receive.

Rated "good" by the CQC in January 2018, the service was peer reviewed by West Midlands Quality Review Service who said they "were impressed with the level of integration across the services - the feedback from service users and their families and carers was that the pathway was seamless between the various services."

This is an exciting opportunity to be based within a dynamic NHS service but employed and supported by a charity with a long history of working with and for children and young people (over 150 years!). Solar is a multi-disciplinary service which provides a rich learning environment for all staff. Our work is holistic, and evidence based, and we actively encourage the participation of children and young people in their assessment, care plan and treatment.

What are the essentials that we need from you?

We're seeking a qualified and registered clinician (e.g. CBT Therapist, Counsellor, Social Worker) with:

• A supervision qualification (essential) and management training (desirable).
• At least 3 years' experience in leading/managing within a mental health setting.
• Strong knowledge of CYP IAPT, safeguarding, and therapeutic interventions.
• Proven ability to manage teams, services, and projects with strategic insight.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and reducing health inequalities.
• Experience working in education settings and with multi-agency partners.

What can Barnardos offer you?

• 26 days holiday plus bank holidays and the option to purchase 5 days
• Free DBS check (if required)
• 4% or 6% matched pension contribution
• Staff discounts at a variety of places (retail, cinema, theme parks, holidays, hotels)
• Access to 'Bluelight' discount card
• Paid carers and bereavement leave
• Access to extensive professional training and support via the Barnardo's University
• Access to paid training in house
• A work environment which supports and celebrates their staff via events such as excellence awards
• A work environment dedicated to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band - this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.