Group Manager - Fostering, Kinship and Special Guardianship, Care Resources in London

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities! We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

We are seeking an experienced group manager to join our senior management team. The successful candidate will have significant experience above team manager level of overseeing all aspects of social work practice. You will have experience of supervising staff and a thorough knowledge of social work practice as well as specialist knowledge relating to the post you apply for. The group manager will provide strategic and operational leadership and is responsible for the quality of performance and practice in the area.

The group manager supports the head of service and has responsibility for ensuring that quality of operational practice continues to be improved in the teams. These are central roles which require visible leadership and a proactive approach. Postholders will be able to work effectively with partners and be creative and ambitious for children in our borough.

Are you passionate about ensuring children and young people receive high-quality, stable care through fostering, kinship arrangements, and Special Guardianship? We are recruiting for a Group Manager – Fostering, Kinship & Special Guardianship, where you will lead efforts to strengthen placement support, enhance carer recruitment, and drive positive outcomes for children in need of stability and care. You will lead strategic planning to improve foster care provision, kinship support, and Special Guardianship arrangements. You will ensure foster carers, kinship carers, and special guardians receive robust training, guidance, and support – both practical and financial.

The postholder will work collaboratively with regional and national fostering and kinship networks to stay up to date with policy changes and best practices. You will oversee placement stability initiatives, ensuring children and young people experience continuity and safety within a nurturing environment. You will lead service development and continuous improvement, ensuring regulatory standards are met and exceeded.

We are looking for a committed leader who is:

• Experienced in fostering, kinship care, and Special Guardianship arrangements, with a strong understanding of national legislation and local authority frameworks.
• Skilled in relation to service development, ensuring carers and guardians receive the highest level of support and resources.
• Passionate about securing positive outcomes for children, advocating for placement stability and quality care across all pathways.
• A strategic thinker, capable of driving impactful change and building strong partnerships across the sector.
• Experienced in management including of complex operational practice and line management of more than one team.
• Experienced in managing a budget.

The person applying must have a thorough technical knowledge of the requirements of Working Together 2023, the Pan London Child Protection Procedures and other relevant safeguarding and care planning statutory guidance. A track record of practice improvement and an in-depth understanding of the Signs of Safety practice framework are essential. You will lead your teams to promote and deliver the objective, that all children and young people in Lewisham are safe and reach their full potential.

As the group manager you will support strategic thinking and operational management for the service, you will be a key member of the extended senior management team. You will have 3-5 direct reports and manage a service area consisting of 3-5 teams. You will be responsible for practice improvement in your service area using Signs of Safety as our practice framework. You will manage a small budget. You will need to be a skilled and reflective practitioner and leader with a clear vision of what good practice with children and families looks like.

You will be able to use and analyse performance data effectively to support our work with children and families and have a good understanding of different methods of quality assurance. You will supervise team managers and support them in their professional development. You will need to be a registered social worker and have recent proven management experience and be able to demonstrate your experience, skill, and ability to think strategically and embed the strategic objectives into operational practice, leading by example, supporting people to deliver agile services that meet the needs of our children. You will need to evidence reflective and creative practice. A child-focused approach is essential, ensuring that the views of Lewisham children are central to developing and delivering services.

In Lewisham Children’s Social Care, we know what good social work looks like and we are passionate about creating the right conditions and culture for good practice to thrive. Families are respected and supported to stay together, whenever there is safety. Families will tell us they understand why we are involved. Children will tell us their social worker has made a difference to their lives. Children who are in our care know we care, and we won’t give up on them. Young people who have been in our care feel confident about their future.

We have taken a whole system approach to improving our services to children and young people in our borough using Signs of Safety as our practice model. Ofsted recognised the progress we have made noting that: Staff talk positively about their manageable caseloads, regular supervision, team meetings and access to a range of training, including the social work model of practice. Senior leaders demonstrate a clear focus on hearing the voices of children to develop and improve services. Leaders know the service well. They have a clear understanding of areas for development that are being appropriately addressed.

In January 2024, Ofsted's report lauds significant improvements in our children's services. Praised areas include strong leadership, high-quality support for families and children, and positive outcomes across all criteria. The Executive Director for Children and Young People and his team are credited for driving these improvements, with particular focus on enhancing workforce stability, early help services, and partnerships with stakeholders. Noteworthy practices include creative life-story work and culturally sensitive social work approaches, crucial in a diverse borough like Lewisham. The Council's anti-racist practice network and safe space platform also garnered praise for supporting staff from black and global majority backgrounds. Overall, the report highlights a commendable commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people in Lewisham.

“Lewisham has so much to offer any social worker. I feel supported, respected and valued every step of the way” (Social Worker). Our social workers benefit from working in small, supportive teams with caseloads on average between 15-20 children. Our Signs of Safety family-led practice framework means we are committed to working in a relationship-based way with children and families, focusing on strengths in the family network to effect change. A positive learning culture which promotes opportunities for reflection and relationship-based practice is important to us. We are committed to developing our practice using reflective practice spaces such as case mapping, thinking spaces and group supervision. Our permanent and stable senior management team are visible and approachable. Our dedicated workforce team supports professional development across the service.

We are looking for people to join our team who:

• Value the importance of communication and seeking feedback
• Can inspire and motivate those they work with, manage and lead
• Are committed to developing their skills and expertise to deliver an excellent service
• Are professionally curious and value thinking slowly and calmly in a balanced way
• Work inclusively, collaboratively with others recognising their strengths
• Take responsibility and make a positive contribution by focusing on solutions
• Are transparent, are appreciative in enquiry, reflect and learn.

In return, we’ll offer excellent development opportunities, the opportunity to make a real difference to our local community plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous leave entitlement
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

The job is primarily based in Laurence House in Catford SE6. There are 2 local train stations 3-5 minutes’ walk from the office, and the train journey from London Bridge is approximately 15 minutes. There are also numerous bus routes that stop right by the office. We operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s. The post holder must have a social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. The job is subject to a DBS.

If you feel ready for a change and are able to take on new challenges in a progressive organisation, we want to hear from you. For an informal discussion, please contact Steven Chaplin, Head of Service for Care Resources at Steven.Chaplin@lewisham.gov.uk.