Service Manager for Fostering and Permanence

Enfield Council; Wormley; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

32 days annual leave + 8 holidays + 1/

Remote and office blend

Season ticket loan

Career development

Employee Assistance Programme

Health and leisure discounts

1 month sabbatical for SWs

Job summary

Enfield Council is seeking a Service Manager for Fostering and Permanence to lead Fostering and Special Guardianship teams in delivering support, guidance and supervision to foster carers and related partners. The role also manages the in-house contact centre and shapes trauma-informed, relational practice to improve permanence and outcomes for children in care.

Reporting to the Head of Children in Care and Care Leavers, you will drive strategy, transformation, and continuous improvement,

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience within statutory children's social care services.
• Ability to lead high-performing teams, manage complex services and deliver improvement.
• Able to lead change while maintaining good services.
• Strong understanding of children in care and family networks.
• Experience managing large budgets effectively.
• Knowledge of statutory frameworks, Ofsted and quality assurance.
• Experience leading change in complex organisations.
• Politically astute with Members and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide teams and partner agencies with support to maintain placement stability and improve permanence and wellbeing for children in care.
• Lead service improvement and embed strong relational practice.
• Ensure strong performance, quality assurance, and statutory compliance.
• Strengthen partnerships and develop the enduring relationship Hub to support stability and lifelong networks.
• Support the staff group to review the support improved placement stability.
• Produce and promote the local offer to Kinship carers alongside partner agencies.

Skills

Senior leadership

Team leadership

Budget management

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England

Job description

As Service Manager for Fostering and Permanence, work with the Fostering and Special Guardianship teams you will guide the teams in providing support, guidance and supervision to family and local authority assessed carers.

In addition, you will be responsible for the management of the in-house contact centre.

You will drive high-quality, relational and trauma-informed practice, working with partners to improve permanence, placement stability, education, health and wellbeing.

Reporting to the Head of Children in Care and Care Leavers, you will support service strategy, transformation and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

• Provide the teams and partner agencies with support to maintain placement stability and improve permanence and wellbeing for children in care.
• Lead service improvement and embed strong relational practice.
• Ensure strong performance, quality assurance, and statutory compliance.
• Strengthen partnerships and develop the enduring relationship Hub to support stability, family time, lifelong networks and better outcomes including the successful reunification of children with parents following a positive assessment.
• Support the current Fostering association and the staff group to review the support improved placement stability.
• Produce and promote the local offer to Kinship carers alongside partner agencies.

Qualifications and Experience

• Senior leadership experience within statutory children's social care services including working with children in care and carers.
• Ability to lead high-performing teams, manage complex services and deliver improvement.
• Able to lead change while maintaining good services.
• Strong understanding of children in care and the importance of family and lifelong networks.
• Experience managing large budgets effectively.
• Knowledge of statutory frameworks, Ofsted and quality assurance.
• Experience leading change in complex organisations.
• Politically astute and confident with Members and senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, influencing and partnership skills.
• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.

We do not see your name or title when shortlisting your application. This is one of many initiatives to build a more talented and diverse workforce. However, if you put your name on your CV or Statement it will be visible to us. For this reason, we ask that you do not include your name on these documents. Please note it is your responses to the Essential/Desirable criteria, as detailed in the Job Description and Person Specification which is available on the job advert, that will determine if you are shortlisted for an interview, therefore we encourage you to always address the essential and desirable criteria in your application/CV.

Why Join Us

• A key leadership role improving outcomes and shaping change.
• Opportunity to shape services that make a difference.
• Collaborative, forward-thinking leadership culture.
• Commitment to development and improvement.
• An ambitious, diverse borough with strong partnerships.

Why it's great to work for Enfield Council:

• An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Up to 32 days annual leave depending on grade and length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year and an extra day off at Christmas.
• A blend of remote and office based working for most roles.
• Interest free season ticket loan repayable over three or ten months.
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods.
• Employee Assistance Programme to provide advice and counselling services. This is a free and confidential service available to staff and members of their family.
• Health and leisure discounts and tax-free bikes for work.
• 1 month's paid sabbatical for registered Social Workers working in Children's Social Care.