Team Manager - Children's Placements

Birmingham Children's Trust; Aston; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent children's service organization in Aston is seeking a Team Manager to lead a skilled team focusing on securing high-quality placements for looked after children. You will manage budgets, influence policy, and ensure operational excellence in a fast-paced environment. This role offers generous annual leave, flexible working arrangements, and benefits promoting employee well-being. To apply, include a cover letter explaining your suitability for the role.

Benefits

Generous annual leave package

Free on-site parking

Occupational Health services

Flexible working policy

Qualifications

• Experience in leading a team, preferably in a large and complex organization.
• Understanding of regulations for children’s homes and foster care.
• Excellent organizational skills to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Senior Placement Officers and Placement Officers.
• Ensure high-quality care placements for looked after children.
• Manage budgets and influence policy for operational excellence.

Skills

Team leadership

Negotiation and problem-solving

Organizational skills

Flexibility and adaptability

Job description

Application Process

We’d love to understand what makes you a great fit for this role, and how your skills and experiences align with the person specification. To support your application, please include a cover letter sharing this information. Please note that we can only consider applications that include a cover letter.

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of looked after children? One of the most important aspects of childrens’ lives is the place that they live, and this role is all about making sure we do our best in that area to give them the best chance of thriving.

Due to retirement of the current postholder, we are seeking a Team Manager to continue the momentum and drive within the service. As Corporate Parents we are committed to working with all stakeholders, ensuring we secure the best quality care placements for our children at best value.

Reporting to the Head of Service, you will be leading a large team of Senior Placement Officers and Placement Officers, focusing primarily on the placement sourcing aspect of finding our children. You will work closely with fellow Placements Commissioning Team Manager focusing on the quality assurance and market engagement aspect of the work in this area.

This is a high-impact role where you will influence policy, manage budgets, and lead a skilled team to deliver operational excellence and financial efficiency. Working days are fast paced and varied.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children’s Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside in the UK and have the correct right‑to‑work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

Interview date: 5th January 2026, held face to face at our office at One Avenue Road.

About you

• You will have experience in leading a team, preferably in a large and complex organisation such as Birmingham Children’s Trust.
• You will preferably have a good track record in children’s placements and be inquisitive and creative in your thinking as we seek innovative ways to ensure our looked after children can achieve the best possible outcomes
• You will need to have an understanding of regulations for children’s homes, supported accommodation and foster care, understand what good looks like in these settings and experience of working with contracts.
• You will maintain overall oversight of placement searches, ensuring that they are of the highest quality and meet the needs of our young people both now and in the future.
• You will have excellent organisational skills and be able to manage a range of competing priorities within a fast‑paced environment.
• You will need to be flexible and responsive to quickly changing demands and evidence that you are able to work well under pressure.
• You will be inspiring and able to lead change.
• You will have strong negotiation and problem solving skills to expedite positive outcomes at best value for children and be able to support staff in doing the same.
• You will be able to evidence how you can enable us to be the 'first choice' for providers through building new, positive relationships and ensure all aspects of our service are of the highest quality.

Our offer to you

We offer a vast range of brilliant incentives to our BCT employees. Come join us to receive (not limited to):

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy- we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns, to support the needs of the Trust and to ensure a positive work / life balance for our employees.