At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate in children's residential care, ensuring quality and compliance.
- Company: Join a compassionate team dedicated to improving children's lives.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and support for unpaid carers.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of children and families.
- Qualifications: Social work qualification and significant experience in social care required.
The predicted salary is between 69241 - 78950 € per year.
Permanent, Full Time £69,241 to £78,950 per annum
Location: Countywide
Working Style: Fixed‑base worker
On‑call responsibilities will be required. An 8% on‑call allowance will be paid in addition to the salary.
Children and Families is recognised as a service where social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion. The role supports the development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families, protecting them from neglect and abuse.
Service Managers are accountable for performance and delivery of a lead service area. They must possess extensive social care experience, understand current issues, and ensure innovative use of resources to improve productivity and quality outcomes. They contribute to the development of policy and strategy, build strong partnerships with internal and external partners, and drive service improvements.
This specialist role focuses on children in care placement services – specifically the delivery, commissioning and quality assurance of children’s residential care.
Accountabilities
- Develop local approaches with partners and agencies for effective service delivery.
- Promote new ways of working in complex environments.
- Implement Children & Families’ vision to support early life success.
- Work with external partners to innovate and maximise opportunities.
- Ensure adherence to regulations and maintain links with governance bodies.
- Deliver services within budget, highlighting risks and contract issues.
- Lead on continuity and health and safety, updating plans and policies.
- Collaborate to ensure quality, cost‑effective solutions.
- Define and achieve annual targets and objectives.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Recognised social work qualification (Diploma, degree, Master’s, CQSW, CSS) with Social Work England registration (SWE).
- Ongoing professional development aligned with competency frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
- Collaborative work with internal and external partners, demonstrating broad thinking across social care and the wider system.
- Significant social care experience with an understanding of current issues and local delivery implications.
- Strong leadership and behavioural skills to build a high‑performing, motivated team.
- Experience managing change in rapidly evolving, ambiguous environments with conflicting priorities.
- Proven influencing skills to lead and deliver cultural change for service quality improvement.
- Experience working and/or managing within the children’s residential care sector.
The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area, including travelling around Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and being able to do so in an emergency. A driving licence and a car, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements through other means, is essential.
We are a Disability Confident Employer. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements of the role. We also interview all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements.
Where the role requires a DBS check, you will be required to register with the DBS update service.
You will receive employee benefits including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements.
Service Manager – Children’s Residential Care in Colchester employer: Essex County Council
As a Service Manager in Children’s Residential Care, you will join a compassionate and collaborative work culture that prioritises the wellbeing of children and families. With a strong commitment to professional development and innovative service delivery, our organisation offers competitive salaries, an 8% on-call allowance, and flexible working arrangements, making it an excellent employer for those seeking meaningful and impactful work in social care. Located countywide, this role provides unique opportunities to lead service improvements while building strong partnerships across the community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Service Manager – Children’s Residential Care in Colchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the social care sector, attend relevant events, and join online forums. The more people you know, the better your chances of hearing about job openings before they’re even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation and its values. Understand their approach to children’s residential care and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've led teams or managed change in previous roles. Highlighting your ability to drive service improvements will resonate well with hiring managers.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our mission in children’s services.
We think you need these skills to ace Service Manager – Children’s Residential Care in Colchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Service Manager role. Highlight your social care experience and how it aligns with the job description. We want to see how you can bring your unique skills to our team!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:This role is all about leading a high-performing team, so don’t hold back! Share examples of how you've successfully managed teams or projects in the past. We love to see your leadership style in action!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point while still showcasing your passion for children's residential care.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way to ensure it reaches us directly. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Essex County Council
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your social care knowledge, especially around children's residential care. Understand the current issues in the sector and be ready to discuss how you can innovate and improve service delivery.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams or managed change in challenging environments. Highlight your ability to motivate others and drive service improvements, as this role requires strong leadership and behavioural skills.
✨Collaborate Like a Pro
Think about your experiences working with internal and external partners. Be ready to share specific instances where you've built strong relationships and how that has positively impacted service delivery.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that put you in real-life situations related to the role. Practice responding to scenarios involving safeguarding, budget management, or policy implementation to demonstrate your problem-solving skills.
