Service Manager – Residential Portfolio

Barnsley Council; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnsley Council is recruiting a Service Manager to lead three new children's residential homes from inception to live operation. You will oversee staffing, recruiting Registered Managers, and building the operating model while coordinating with partner agencies to ensure high standards of care.

The role requires a degree and registered social work status, plus a post-qualifying leadership qualification. You will report on budgets and performance, operating across a multi-agency context within

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent and a qualified, registered social worker.
• Post-qualifying award in leadership/management is preferred.
• Experience in operational management within a large organisation delivering services to children, young people and families.
• Strong budget and financial process experience.
• Experience in multi-agency commissioning environments and service improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and line management across three residential homes from inception through registration and staffing.
• Recruit staff including Registered Managers and build operational model for the homes.
• Manage budgets, contracts and performance systems to ensure delivery to standard.
• Represent the homes with partner agencies and stakeholders across the sufficiency programme.
• Sit on the Out of Hours Senior Management Rota.

Skills

Leadership and line management

Budget management

Multi-agency working

Regulatory/inspection knowledge

Stakeholder management

Influencing/negotiation

Education

Degree or equivalent

Registered social worker

Post-qualifying leadership/management qualification

Job description

Barnsley Council have an exciting opportunity for a Service Manager - Residential Portfolio (Children's Social Care) to join the team based in Barnsley. You will join us on a full-time, permanent basis . In return, you will receive a competitive salary of £63,375 - £68,707 per annum.

Barnsley is investing in three new children's residential homes as part of its Children in Care Sufficiency Strategy 2026 to 2030, reducing reliance on external and out of area placements and giving more of our children in care a home in Barnsley.

We're recruiting a Service Manager to lead this residential portfolio from the ground up. You'll take responsibility for all three homes as they move through registration, staffing and opening, and then for their ongoing operational and strategic management once live.

What you'll be doing

You'll provide leadership and line management across the three homes, taking the lead on their development and on the recruitment of the staff who'll run them, including Registered Managers. You'll build relationships with partner agencies and stakeholders across the sufficiency programme, represent the homes at internal and external forums, and manage the budgets, contracts and performance systems that keep the service running to standard.

You'll also sit on the Out of Hours Senior Management Rota.

This is a new post, and you'll be building the team and the operating model for the homes rather than stepping into something already established.

What we're looking for

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, and a qualified, registered social worker
• A post-qualifying award, ideally with a postgraduate leadership or management qualification
• Team manager level experience (or equivalent) of operational management in a large organisation delivering services to children, young people and families
• Experience managing complex budgets and financial processes
• Experience of planning or delivering services in a multi-agency context, including within a commissioning environment
• A track record of leading and motivating teams to deliver sustainable, high quality service improvement
• Sound knowledge of the legislative and policy framework around children's services, and of the regulatory and inspection regime you'll be operating under, including Ofsted registration requirements
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and resolve conflict at a senior level

Why this role

You'd be shaping three services from inception rather than inheriting an existing structure, with direct input into staffing models, practice standards and how the homes operate day to day. It's a chance to build something rather than manage around the edges of something already fixed.

Closing date for application

Friday 9th October