Service Manager (Aberdeen)

Do you want to create a safer, brighter future for all children in Scotland? Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, has an exciting opportunity for a confident, enthusiastic and committed leader to truly make a difference to children and their families. We are seeking to appoint a Service Manager within our Aberdeen Family Wellbeing Service, Fit Like Family Wellbeing.

By joining our team, you will help us stand up for children, keep them safe and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services. This is more than a service management role. If you are looking for a new challenge, ready to bring fresh thinking, creativity and passion to your work and want the opportunity to really shape the future of whole family wellbeing supports in Aberdeen, we would love to hear from you.

Based in Aberdeen, with flexible and hybrid working an option, the role involves leading on the day-to-day implementation, management, development and growth of our whole family wellbeing service aligned to the Fit Like Family Wellbeing collaborative. Fit Like is a multi-agency partnership approach to supporting children and their families throughout Aberdeen City when they present with emerging needs around emotional wellbeing, mental health, family relationships, safety and safeguarding needs and supporting children and young people when they have had a trauma experience to promote their ability to recover.

Taking a child-centred approach, you will work to ensure the safety of children and young people by protecting and promoting their rights. You will join an ambitious values driven team at an exciting stage of development and growth, with the freedom to innovate, build strong partnerships and influence how services are designed and delivered for children and families. This is an exciting opportunity to lead change, develop new approaches that will create lasting impact for children, young people and communities across Aberdeen.

Working within the Fit Like Family Wellbeing collaborative, you'll play a key role in driving service growth, embedding trauma-informed practice and ensuring families receive the right support at the right time. You'll be empowered to bring your ideas, expertise and leadership to a service that is committed to continuous improvement and meaningful outcomes. Whether you're an experienced manager seeking a fresh opportunity, or a practitioner leader ready to take the next step, this role offers the chance to be part of something progressive, purposeful and transformational. Most importantly, you'll help create opportunities for children and families to thrive, recover and build brighter futures.

We are keen to attract the right person to help drive the next stage of our development and are therefore open to discussing flexibility around working hours, with the role available for up to 35 hours per week.

What we are looking for

You will be an inspiring leader and will possess a degree or diploma in social work, or equivalent professional qualification at SCQF level 9, in addition to recent significant experience in a relevant practice area relating to young people. You will always put Children First. You will be relational in your approach and have experience of working collaboratively with partners to ensure the right support at the right time.

As well as a rewarding career and development opportunities, we offer 40 days annual leave per year pro rata, a contributory pension scheme, generous maternity/adoption and paternity leave, flexible working opportunities and wellbeing support. With a supportive and inclusive working environment, the salary for this role is £44,087 - £50,726 per annum.

Our values

Living our values, you will make a direct impact to the lives of children across Scotland. With love, we put children first. With purpose, we transform children’s lives together. With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.

How to apply

We believe all children should have hopes, dreams and opportunities. But for many they don’t exist. This has to stop. We must put children first. We welcome and encourage applications from potential colleagues from all backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, disability who share our values. Do you have what it takes to join our team and help us protect children and keep them safe? We would love to hear from you.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the role before applying, please contact: Iona.mitchell@childrenfirst.org.uk

Role Summary

To provide strategic and operational leadership for the Aberdeen Whole Family Wellbeing Service, driving innovation, development and sustainable growth to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. To shape and develop services in line with agreed objectives, respond to review of needs, gaps, and trends ensuring involvement of the individuals who use our service, and to oversee support services to those individuals in line with service delivery requirements.

To be part of the Fit Like Family Wellbeing leadership team, representing Children First and contributing to the development of collaborative partnership working across our three community spaces in Aberdeen. To participate in a range of external networks for the benefit of and with the participation of children, young people and families, and to negotiate effectively with external funding partners to secure funding for service consolidation and development.

To lead innovation and continuous improvement across the service, identifying new approaches, opportunities and partnerships that improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Living our values, you will manage the service with integrity, while involving, inspiring and empowering your team, so together we can create better outcomes for families.

To lead, manage and co-ordinate the activities of the service(s) in accordance with Children First strategic objectives to achieve positive outcomes with and for children, young people and families. To manage a complex budget of funding from Health, Local Authority, Scottish Government, and others including grant making trusts, and to manage a complex and extensive list of stakeholders.

Key Result Areas

• Relationships with Children, Young People and Families

Work to ensure the safety of Children and young people by protecting and promoting their rights. To create effective plans for children and young people based on clear outcomes, ensuring a high degree of responsiveness to stakeholders and individuals who use our service. To ensure effective service delivery with a specific focus on outcomes for children/young people engaged with the service. To contribute to the impact and influence of Children 1st for the benefit of and with the participation of children, young people and families. To develop a Service that enhances the safety and wellbeing of Children.

• Operational Requirements

To develop, implement and review on a regular basis, a quality improvement system that seeks to develop the support available to families and builds on our ability to meet children and family’s needs. To develop, implement and review a system of reporting on service performance, achievement, outputs and outcomes to meet organisational and external requirements. To determine the strategic direction of the Service in response to internal and external drivers in Scotland, and to develop opportunities which are in line with the remit of the service. To manage a complex budget and ensure expenditure is in line with service plan. To maintain and develop income streams for the service, through statutory or other sources, working in partnership with the Fundraising department as appropriate. To contribute to research and practice and policy development to inform social policy initiatives relating to Children First strategic aims. To take a lead role in promoting the use of Information Technology and ensure compliance with Children First recording systems and standards. Ensure quality assurance is visible and service work is appropriately monitored and there is compliance with Children First internal standards, relevant legislation/external standards, and registration requirements. To maintain responsibility for Health and Safety and to comply with Children First Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.

• Relationships with others

To contribute to the establishment of appropriate networks and communication channels and disseminate information on the service as appropriate, taking a lead role in promoting the service and Children First locally, regionally and nationally. To contribute to external planning and communication networks through membership of local planning and policy groups (e.g. social work, health and education). To provide strategic leadership across the Family Wellbeing partnership, influencing service design, system change and preventative approaches across Aberdeen City. To actively participate in and contribute to management, locality and organisational service development groups. To support staff working in multi-agency partnerships to secure the best outcomes for the individuals we are supporting. To take a lead role in Children First influencing strategy, supporting corporate colleagues as appropriate. To lead and manage a large group of multi-disciplinary staff undertaking complex work. To lead and support staff effectiveness through the process of supervision, appraisal and implementation of professional development plans. To take a lead role in helping to promote a culture of continuous learning and development and provide advice, guidance, training and consultation services to colleagues across the charity, and to staff working in partner agencies.

Additional Duties

Any additional duties will normally be to cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in work, and will usually be appropriate and compatible with the regular type of work. If an additional task or responsibility becomes a regular or frequent part of the job, it will be included in the job description in consultation with the post holder.

Need to Have

Need to Show (Skills)

• Degree or Diploma in Social Work, or equivalent professional qualification at SCQF Level 9, alongside substantial experience of leading services for children, young people and families.
• Recent significant experience in a relevant practice area relating to young people.
• Experience of working within safeguarding, children’s services and/or around supporting recovery from trauma.
• Managerial/supervisory experience to include direct staff/student/volunteer supervision, recruitment, learning and development, performance management and quality assurance.
• Experience of managing complex systems and management information.
• Experience of managing complex budgets including securing external funding.
• Experience of involving Children, young people and their families in planning/designing and implementing services.
• Ability to work strategically within a multi-agency network and development of service in response to external drivers.
• Ability to represent Children First and the voluntary sector at a strategic level.
• Ability to influence service delivery and quality for children and young people.
• Enthusiastic approach to the use of IT and willingness to undertake the training in order to ensure the competency level essential for the role.
• Ability to shape and influence external influences, with proven ability to adapt services and diversify appropriately.
• Budget management and financial skills.
• Ability to lead and manage change.
• Ability to inspire, motivate and empower teams through periods of change and development.
• Ability to think creatively and translate ideas into sustainable service improvement.

An in-depth knowledge and understanding of best practice and regulatory requirements in the field of childcare and young people’s services. Knowledge of funding streams/arrangements to support children and young people. Knowledge of Safeguarding Children and Young People and Protection of Vulnerable Adults. Understanding of outcome focused service planning and evaluation. Developments in professional practice. Flexible in approach to work. Committed to and understand the principles of working with volunteers. Able and willing to travel as required to services and offices across the region. Committed to Children First approach and the relational nature of our work. Confident and able to form effective and credible relationships with all levels of staff. Aware of personal responsibility in relation to corporate responsibilities.

About us

Children First is Scotland’s national children’s charity. We stand up for every child because all children should have a safe childhood. We protect children from harm and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services. We help children, their families and the people that care for them by offering emotional, practical, and financial support. We give children hope and a safer, brighter future. Our core values guide how each one of us works in our individual day to day job:

• With love, we put children first.
• With purpose, we transform children’s lives together.
• With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.

These values are reflected in everything we do. If you share our vision and values and would like to join our team then we would love to hear from you.