Service Delivery Manager Care Leavers Hub

Leeds City Council; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A municipal authority in the UK is seeking a Service Delivery Manager focused on enhancing support for Care Leavers. The role involves leading service delivery, driving strategic initiatives, and ensuring legislative compliance. Candidates must hold a relevant professional qualification and possess extensive experience in practice supervision and partnership working. This position offers a competitive salary along with a range of benefits including flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual leave plus statutory holidays

Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Flexible working arrangements

Continuing professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Extensive practice supervision and partnership working experience.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and inspection regimes.
• Registered with Social Work England upon commencement.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of strategic service programs.
• Lead on the management of multi-agency approaches.
• Ensure compliance with the Budget Management Accountability Framework.

Skills

Creative problem solving

Decision-making

Communication

Leadership capabilities

Service management experience

Education

Appropriate professional qualification (DipSW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent)

Job description

Overview

Of the two Service Delivery Manager positions, one post focuses on developing the Care Leavers' Hub offer and Staying Close Model, a pilot model financed by the Department for Education designed to offer extra support to young people leaving care with high support needs and vulnerability. This includes care leavers from children's residential homes, hospital, those experiencing homelessness, exploitation, former unaccompanied asylum seeking children, and young people in leaving custody. The Staying Close model provides an enhanced community of support including targeted housing support, designated Staying Close workers, therapeutic support and increased offers from the Care Leavers' Hub and partnership services. The Service Delivery Manager for leaving care is pivotal to our role as a Corporate Parent, leading our duties to care leavers, delivering on our strategy and ensuring the right support for Leeds care leavers, meeting statutory and moral responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of programmes of strategic significance to the Council to deliver services in line with Council priorities.
• Responsible for the development and delivery of the service plan and drive continuous improvement initiatives through leading and contributing to cross Council projects.
• Support the active involvement of children and young people and families in how Children\'s Services are delivered and how they contribute to the ambitions of the Council as set out in the Best City Ambition for Leeds, ensuring that children and young people have a voice and their views are heard.
• Lead and drive city-wide service improvement to ensure the service works effectively, innovatively and collaboratively across the wider service and its partners.
• Lead on the strategic and operational management of a multi-agency approach centred around the needs of children and young people throughout the city, especially those who are most vulnerable; effectively leading and directing teams within prescribed political and governance processes.
• Lead day-to-day service delivery and the continuous development and improvement of specified provider services in accordance with agreed targets and objectives included in council and service plans.
• Provide leadership on safeguarding with the requirements of the Children Act 1989 & 2004, Working Together 2023 and any subsequent updates to ensure a child-friendly and child-focused approach.
• Ensure leadership and service culture adopts an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory approach; develop and embed anti-racist practice in leading an anti-racist organisation.
• Lead and manage, both organisationally and professionally, the delivery of all services in specified service areas, ensuring effective and timely communication of key messages to teams.
• Deliver better outcomes against professional standards within a context of resource availability.
• Provide direction and support and set clear objectives to immediate line reports.
• Foster a climate of shared accountability, learning and continuous improvement.
• Maintain a culture that meets the needs of and engages with children, families, and staff to meet the business needs of the directorate.
• Be a champion of Leeds aspirational goal to become a child-friendly city.
• Ensure effective management and implementation of robust performance management processes to deliver outcomes within an evidence-based model.
• Ensure regular formal quality assurance, audit and performance management and reporting through the use of management information systems and compliance with statutory requirements.
• Contribute to the directorate\'s goal to deliver good outcomes from external inspections, reviews and assessments.
• Lead development and implementation of local service plans as part of the directorate, corporate and partnership framework.
• Lead, shape and influence the team to deliver the Children\'s and Young Peoples Plan and ensure collaborative local partnership arrangements.
• Build strong local relationships and networks with individuals and partner agencies to deliver better outcomes for all children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable with complex needs.
• Lead effective multi-agency locality-based relationships underpinning safe and effective services for children in Leeds.
• Ensure all aspects of people management support high performance, shared accountability, learning and continuous improvement across the service.
• Deliver partnership working through integrated practice for effective service delivery, ensuring compliance with joint protocols and providing specialist advice to partner agencies and integrated services.
• Develop and promote services and practice improvements designed to mitigate risk and improve outcomes for children.
• Represent the Senior Leadership Team as required to brief local ward Members and MPs and represent on leadership matters at local and city-wide levels.
• Build strong relationships and trust with individuals and partner agencies to deliver better outcomes for Leeds City Council.
• In line with the Budget Management Accountability Framework, be responsible and accountable for all financial resources within the service area, ensuring value for money and compliance with financial regulations.
• Review and monitor the performance of services, systems, budget, teams and individuals against standards and agreed outcomes in a cost-effective and flexible way responsive to local, political and national context.

The duties outlined are not exhaustive and may include other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the grade.

Additional information

• This recruitment provides an opportunity to experience the service manager role on a seconded or acting-up basis and to contribute to the development of leaving care services in Leeds. The successful applicants will have extensive practice supervision, partnership working, strategic development and project development experience, and hold an appropriate social work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance requires candidates to evidence the right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment.
• Qualifications: Appropriate professional qualification (DipSW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent). You should be registered with Social Work England upon commencement and maintain registration.
• Working context: Post holders will work flexibly both at home and at various locations across the City and region with hybrid working practices; some evenings/weekends may be required.
• Essential requirements: Candidates will be shortlisted only if they demonstrate all essential criteria, including creative problem solving, decision-making, communication and leadership capabilities, service management experience, and knowledge of relevant legislation and inspection regimes.

Benefits

• A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays.
• Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements.
• Clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities.
• A range of staff benefits to support wellbeing and financial security.