Service Manager - Fostering, Chelmsford

Permanent, Full Time

£66,899 to £76,280 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 11th February 2026

Interview Date: 23rd February 2026

Interviews to be held in person at County Hall in Chelmsford

We are serious about social work at Essex County Council. It is demanding, complex, but also hugely fulfilling. Here you will have time to be the Service Manager you always wanted to be, achieving change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice. You will work collaboratively with other agencies and partners to ensure that we provide the right response at the right time to every child and family receiving services.

The Role

This role is pivotal in ensuring the effective delivery of high-quality placement services for children and young people, providing operational and strategic direction to the fostering service. The role will drive policy implementation, service improvement, and partnership working across multi-agency stakeholders to enhance the overall effectiveness of children's placement services.

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic Leadership: Support development and implementation of a strategic vision for Fostering across countywide and Quadrant fostering teams.
• Operational Management: Oversee the delivery of effective recruitment, assessment, approval, and support for foster carers, ensuring high standards of safeguarding and practice.
• Performance & Quality Assurance: Maintain robust quality assurance frameworks, setting performance targets and ensuring continuous improvement through data analysis, inspections, and user feedback.
• Financial & Resource Management: Budget planning and resource allocation to ensure cost-effective service delivery.
• Workforce Development: Provide leadership, professional supervision, and development opportunities for staff and carers to build a skilled, resilient, and high-performing workforce.
• Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement: Foster strong relationships with government bodies, regional fostering agencies, and third-sector organisations to drive collaborative service improvements.
• Risk & Compliance: Ensure adherence to statutory regulations, safeguarding policies, and best practice guidelines to mitigate risks and promote the safety and well-being of children.
• Innovation & Service Development: Drive the development of innovative approaches to fostering recruitment, placement stability, therapeutic support, and supporting children with additional needs.
• Embed Anti Racist Practice: Develop foster carers who can effectively meet the needs of global majority children.

What you will need to join us

• A recognised social work qualification (i.e. Diploma, degree or master's in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent) with current registration Social Work England.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners and stakeholders, demonstrating breadth of thinking across social care, partners, the wider council and the system.
• Significant experience within a social care setting, with a deep understanding of current social care issues and implications for delivery at local level.
• Strong leadership and behavioural skills with the ability to focus on results forging a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds to achieve objectives.
• Experience of successful delivery within a rapidly changing and ambiguous environment while managing conflicting priorities.
• Proven influencing skills with an ability to pro-actively lead and deliver cultural change to improve quality of service.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we are committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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