Fostering Services Manager
Salary: £55,500 per annum
Location: Exeter, Devon and Bristol
Contract/Hours: Perm/Full time – 37 hours per week
Benefits:
- Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave, with consideration of continued service leave balance
- Excellent support and leadership opportunities
- Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
- Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
- Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
Action for Children is seeking a Fostering Service Manager to oversee standards, compliance, safeguarding and sustainability across our fostering services in southeast England.
About the role
- Provide strong leadership and direction to professional social work, health and business support staff.
- Work within the senior management group and report to the Head of Fostering Services.
- Show strong financial acumen, impacting practice and culture while embedding our people strategy.
- Hold the Registered Manager role for Devon Short Breaks and Fostering Southwest (Peninsular and Bristol) and oversee regulatory requirements.
- Manage local budgets and contracts, ensuring accuracy, accountability and strong relationships with commissioners and stakeholders.
- Oversee the therapeutic HOMES Model, with information available here.
How you'll help to create brighter futures
- Provide strategic leadership to ensure strong practice and leadership is upheld.
- Deliver on AFC values and oversee day‑to‑day operations of regulated services across Exeter, Devon and Bristol.
- Provide oversight and accountability to the AFC Head of Service (Fostering) and to Ofsted, the regulatory body.
- Lead safeguarding, recording and practice to the highest standards.
- Build strong relationships with carer families, local organisations and partner agencies.
- Represent the service externally at local events, panels and forums to promote and strengthen the service.
Let's talk about you
- Hold a recognised social work qualification (Degree, DipSW, CQSW) and be registered with Social Work England.
- Significant experience across children’s social care, including fostering.
- Experienced in leading, motivating and supporting managers and social workers, challenging under‑performance and promoting best practice.
- Confident analysing data, managing budgets and applying commercial awareness within a social care context.
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
We work hard to create an inclusive environment where individuality is celebrated and everyone feels valued and supported. We actively encourage applications from people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with a disability. Men are currently under‑represented within our Children Service roles, and we encourage men to apply for any of our Children Service roles.
