Head of Fostering, Kinship & Permanence Services

Cyngor Caerdydd/Cardiff Council; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cardiff Council's Cardiff Children's Services is seeking an experienced Operational Manager to lead Foster Wales Cardiff and Kinship and Permanence Services, shaping high-quality family-based care and ensuring permanence for children.

In this senior role, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, drive permanence strategy, and collaborate with senior leaders, practitioners and regional partners to deliver lasting solutions for vulnerable families.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and management experience within children's services.
• Strong knowledge of fostering, kinship care, permanence planning and Special Guardianship arrangements.
• Expert understanding of Welsh social care legislation, safeguarding and regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading service transformation, improvement and partnership working.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• A commitment to children's rights and achieving outstanding outcomes for children and families.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop high-quality fostering, kinship and permanence services.
• Ensure children achieve stable, long-term family-based care as early as possible.
• Drive innovation, service improvement and transformational change.
• Strengthen recruitment, assessment and support for foster carers, kinship carers and Special Guardians.
• Embed strengths-based, relationship-focused practice across services.
• Oversee quality assurance, workforce development, performance and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Management experience

Fostering & kinship

Permanence planning

Welsh social care law

Safeguarding/regulatory

Service transformation

Communication skills

Children's rights

Job description

Cardiff Council's Cardiff Children's Services is seeking an experienced Operational Manager to lead Foster Wales Cardiff and Kinship and Permanence Services, shaping high-quality family-based care and ensuring permanence for children.

In this senior role, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, drive permanence strategy, and collaborate with senior leaders, practitioners and regional partners to deliver lasting solutions for vulnerable families.