Service Manager for Children in Care

Kirklees Metropolitan Council; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Nottingham City Council is recruiting an experienced Service Manager for Children in Care to lead and shape services across Nottingham, ensuring safety, stability and lasting outcomes for looked-after children.

Reporting to the Head of Service, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to social work teams, oversee service delivery, quality assurance and workforce development, and champion a voice-led, relationship-based approach with partners. Closing date 25 October 2026.

Qualifications

• Experienced social work leader with a track record of leading high-performing teams.
• Strong focus on improving outcomes for children in care.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to social work teams.
• Oversee service delivery, quality assurance and workforce development.
• Champion corporate parenting and ensure children’s voices are at the heart of decision-making.

Job description

As Service Manager for Children in Care, you will play a key role in leading and shaping services that support children in care across Nottingham, ensuring they experience safety, stability, permanence and the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Reporting to the Head of Service, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to a number of social work teams, creating the conditions for high-quality practice, strong performance and continuous improvement. You will oversee service delivery, quality assurance and workforce development, ensuring children receive timely, effective support and ambitious care planning that improves outcomes.

Working closely with colleagues across fostering, residential, leaving care, education, health and partner agencies, you will champion Nottingham's role as a corporate parent and ensure children's voices remain at the heart of decision‑making. You will support a relationship‑based approach that promotes stability, belonging and positive futures for children in care.

We are seeking an experienced and inspirational social work leader with a strong track record of leading high‑performing teams and delivering service improvement. You will be passionate about developing others, creating a positive culture and supporting practitioners to deliver excellent social work practice.

Through your leadership, you will help embed Nottingham's vision for children in care, ensuring children and young people experience consistent support, strong professional relationships and the very best opportunities to thrive.

The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 25th October 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should a sufficient number of applications be received.

Company: Nottingham City Council

Salary: £58,602 - £62,109

Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Sector: Corporate Services

Sector: Corporate Management Team

Sector: Health and Social Care

Job Role: Manager