Service Manager - Children Social Care
| Posting date: | 29 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £56,646 to £65,478 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 28 August 2025 |
| Location: | Sutton, London |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | London Borough of Sutton |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 3657 |
Summary
Join Children Social Care as a Service Manager within our Children Looked After and Leaving Care service and enjoy a Golden Hello along with a Recruitment and Retention Bonus, outlined as follows:
£1,000 paid with your first month's salary
£1,000 for your first completed year of service
£2,000 for your second completed year of service
£3,000 for your third completed year of service and each year thereafter
With a total salary package of up to £68,476, inclusive of bonuses and benefits, this is an excellent opportunity to elevate your career in social care.
As a Service Manager for within Children Social Care, your responsibilities will include:
Management of the Children Looked After and Leaving Care service
Provide leadership to a team of social care professionals to ensure that all interventions are child-centred, emphasising the best interests of the children and young people in our care.
Develop and implement children-focused policies, procedures, and best practices that enhance service delivery.
Lead on the direction and delivery of court related case work and court proceedings.
Manage personal advisors to support care experienced young people on the pathway to Adulthood.
Manage budget planning and resource allocation effectively to ensure sustainability and efficiency of services.
Ensure the highest standards of safeguarding practices are maintained, promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and young people.
Fostering a positive team culture that encourages professional development opportunities for staff.
As a Service Manager, you will play a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership to the teams that deliver front-line practice. You will ensure compliance with both local and national legislation, maintaining high standards of service delivery. Your expertise in children's social care and effective people management will be key as you oversee teams within the service composed of Team Managers, social workers and personal advisors.
You will lead your teams by monitoring practice, managing processes, and overseeing data management to ensure our Local Authority meets statutory requirements while addressing the health and wellbeing needs of the children and young people in our care and care leavers. A thorough understanding of relevant legislation and policy application is essential, along with a proven track record of achieving positive outcomes for children and young people. This knowledge will be critical for promoting high-performance within social care practices.
Our strong, accessible, and supportive management culture, led by our Service Managers, is essential to creating a positive team environment that promotes regular supervision and encourages continuous professional development for staff. Join us on this journey to create an environment where both the children in our care and our staff can thrive and succeed in their everyday lives.
The successful candidate should candidate to demonstrate the following competences (not limited to:):
Qualified Social Worker with a Social Work Degree or recognised qualification, registered with Social Work England, the relevant governing body.
Significant experience at team manager level (ideally 4 years), with demonstrable experience of frontline safeguarding practice.
Leadership skills and social care expertise to grow and develop your service in accordance with changing needs and policy.
Excellent communication, analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to have relevant understanding of social work practice as defined within Children Act 1989 and Working Together 2023.
Knowledge and experience of managing services for care experienced young people will be an advantage for this role.
For more information about the role and/or an informal conversation, you can view the Role Profile or contact Debbie Owen Head of Service Corporate Parenting (debbie.owen@sutton.gov.uk)
£1,000 paid with your first month's salary
£1,000 for your first completed year of service
£2,000 for your second completed year of service
£3,000 for your third completed year of service and each year thereafter
With a total salary package of up to £68,476, inclusive of bonuses and benefits, this is an excellent opportunity to elevate your career in social care.
As a Service Manager for within Children Social Care, your responsibilities will include:
Management of the Children Looked After and Leaving Care service
Provide leadership to a team of social care professionals to ensure that all interventions are child-centred, emphasising the best interests of the children and young people in our care.
Develop and implement children-focused policies, procedures, and best practices that enhance service delivery.
Lead on the direction and delivery of court related case work and court proceedings.
Manage personal advisors to support care experienced young people on the pathway to Adulthood.
Manage budget planning and resource allocation effectively to ensure sustainability and efficiency of services.
Ensure the highest standards of safeguarding practices are maintained, promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and young people.
Fostering a positive team culture that encourages professional development opportunities for staff.
As a Service Manager, you will play a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership to the teams that deliver front-line practice. You will ensure compliance with both local and national legislation, maintaining high standards of service delivery. Your expertise in children's social care and effective people management will be key as you oversee teams within the service composed of Team Managers, social workers and personal advisors.
You will lead your teams by monitoring practice, managing processes, and overseeing data management to ensure our Local Authority meets statutory requirements while addressing the health and wellbeing needs of the children and young people in our care and care leavers. A thorough understanding of relevant legislation and policy application is essential, along with a proven track record of achieving positive outcomes for children and young people. This knowledge will be critical for promoting high-performance within social care practices.
Our strong, accessible, and supportive management culture, led by our Service Managers, is essential to creating a positive team environment that promotes regular supervision and encourages continuous professional development for staff. Join us on this journey to create an environment where both the children in our care and our staff can thrive and succeed in their everyday lives.
The successful candidate should candidate to demonstrate the following competences (not limited to:):
Qualified Social Worker with a Social Work Degree or recognised qualification, registered with Social Work England, the relevant governing body.
Significant experience at team manager level (ideally 4 years), with demonstrable experience of frontline safeguarding practice.
Leadership skills and social care expertise to grow and develop your service in accordance with changing needs and policy.
Excellent communication, analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to have relevant understanding of social work practice as defined within Children Act 1989 and Working Together 2023.
Knowledge and experience of managing services for care experienced young people will be an advantage for this role.
For more information about the role and/or an informal conversation, you can view the Role Profile or contact Debbie Owen Head of Service Corporate Parenting (debbie.owen@sutton.gov.uk)