At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to support children in care and care leavers, ensuring high-quality service delivery.
- Company: Join South Gloucestershire Council, a supportive and community-focused local authority.
- Benefits: Generous leave, wellbeing support, staff discounts, and extensive training opportunities.
- Other info: Strong team ethos with manageable caseloads and excellent career progression.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people.
- Qualifications: Relevant professional qualifications and experience in social care management required.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
At South Gloucestershire Council, we are immensely proud of the skills, abilities, and compassion demonstrated by our social workers and wider workforce. As Team Manager, you will play a key leadership role, providing support, recognition, professional guidance and oversight to colleagues within your practice area, helping them to deliver positive outcomes for children and young people.
Joining the management group within our Corporate Parenting Service, this is a unique role in which you will manage our Early Permanence/Adoption Pod, which includes oversight of some Children in Care, while also managing Personal Advisors within our Care Leavers teams.
Whether you are an existing Team Manager looking to develop your experience within a different practice area, or an experienced practitioner with supervisory responsibilities seeking your first management role, this is an exciting opportunity to further develop your leadership career. While knowledge and experience of adoption policy and processes and practice in respect of care leavers is desirable, we are particularly interested in individuals who can demonstrate a commitment to learning, a willingness to embrace new challenges and the ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the service.
You will have the usual targets to achieve, but you will also be supported by an experienced leadership team that are always accessible from the very top down. A key aspect of your role will be demonstrating strong and effective leadership, where you will motivate and develop colleagues while supporting the ongoing improvement of services. You will help us achieve our ambition of being the very best Corporate Parent for our children in care and care leavers.
As a people-focused manager, you will provide high-quality supervision, support and professional challenge, ensuring team members feel valued and equipped to deliver excellent practice. It will be your responsibility to lead and oversee the delivery of a consistently high-quality service, in respect of children who have a plan for adoption, children in care and care leavers. This diverse role will involve supporting children and young people at different stages of their journey, from babies and young children through to care-experienced young people aged 18-25.
We require you to hold relevant professional qualifications and have experience within a relevant setting, such as corporate parenting or social care that must include experience managing staff and providing professional supervision. It is essential that you can evidence a commitment to ongoing professional development and a thorough knowledge of current legislation and practice relating to children and young people's services. You will have sound knowledge and practical experience of social work practice relating to early permanence and adoption.
We are looking for a flexible, organised and responsive leader who is comfortable working across a diverse service area. Ideally, you will be able to evidence your ability to lead teams to achieve optimum performance in delivering excellent social care services for children.
Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post. You will be required to travel widely to a range of locations within the authority so you must have a current driving licence and access to a suitable vehicle insured for business use. Interviews will be held on Monday 17th August 2026.
As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities. We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
We invest in the careers of our people and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work. What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos. We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have manageable caseloads and have effective supervision so feel supported to make decisions which are right for the children and young people they work with.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.
Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here. We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of. We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life. We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential. We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference. We’re making a difference, be part of it!
Team Manager Corporate Parenting (Early Permanence/Adoption, Children in Care, Care Leavers) in Bristol employer: South Gloucestershire Council
South Gloucestershire Council is an excellent employer for those passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families. With a strong commitment to employee development, you will benefit from flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, and a supportive work culture that values collaboration and positive change. Join us in a role where your contributions directly impact the community and foster meaningful growth.
Contact Details:
South Gloucestershire Council Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Team Manager Corporate Parenting (Early Permanence/Adoption, Children in Care, Care Leavers) in Bristol
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at South Gloucestershire Council.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from South Gloucestershire Council!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like South Gloucestershire Council, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at South Gloucestershire Council or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Team Manager Corporate Parenting (Early Permanence/Adoption, Children in Care, Care Leavers) in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to South Gloucestershire Council:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to South Gloucestershire Council! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at South Gloucestershire Council
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
