Service Manager - Leaving Care

Are you ready to lead and make a real difference in the lives of young people transitioning to independence? If yes, we have the perfect opportunity for you! Southwark Council is recruiting a Service Manager to lead the 16+ Service, ensuring we continue to provide an exceptional service for all Care Leavers. This is an exciting role for a passionate and innovative Social Work Manager who is committed to shaping the futures of children and young people.

As the 16+ Service Manager, you will oversee the service's evolution, addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by the Children and Social Work Act, as well as changes in the care leaver demographic, including late entrants, unaccompanied minors and returnees. You’ll lead initiatives to improve outcomes for young people, focusing on increasing the number of those in education, work and training. Additionally, you will strengthen our expertise in safeguarding young adults and ensuring they have access to secure accommodation. Above all, your work will provide all Looked After Children and Care Leavers with the best opportunities and pathways to successful, independent futures.

In this role, you will be a visible leader with high expectations. You will drive results through strategic planning, strong organisational skills and an excellent understanding of practice. Your leadership will promote a reflective, restorative and open culture where high support is balanced by high challenge. You will also manage operational teams within children’s social care, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services that support young adults’ transition to independence.

We are looking for an ambitious, creative leader with experience managing Children’s Services. You will play a key role in the ongoing development of our sector leading, co-designed 16+ Service, collaborating with children, young people, staff and stakeholders to ensure its continued success. This role requires someone who is passionate about supporting young people through their transition to adulthood and committed to ensuring they receive the best possible support on their journey to independence.

We are seeking a Service Manager who can demonstrate:

• Strong, visible leadership, with the ability to inspire and challenge teams effectively.
• Proven experience in managing operational teams within children’s social care.
• Expertise in safeguarding young adults and supporting successful transitions to adulthood.
• An in-depth understanding of the Children and Social Work Act, as well as the unique needs of late entrants, unaccompanied minors and returnees.
• Excellent analytical, planning, and organisational skills.
• A commitment to systemic practices and restorative approaches that allow practitioners to spend meaningful time with children and young people.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
• A results-focused approach, ensuring continuous improvement and high standards across services for care leavers.

At Southwark, we are committed to providing the best opportunities for our Looked After Children and Care Leavers. We focus on helping young people succeed in education, work, and training, and ensuring they have the support they need to thrive independently. We pride ourselves on delivering innovative, co-designed services that empower young people and help them build a foundation for a successful future. As a member of our management team based in Peckham, you will work closely with the Head of Service to lead the 16+ Service and contribute to a culture of continuous development and excellence.

Type of Contract: Permanent. Working Hours: 36 hours per week. Qualifications: You must be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England. DBS Requirements: An Enhanced DBS (Children’s) check is required for this role.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Elaine Reid at Elaine.Reid@southwark.gov.uk

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you’ll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition.

We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises, and we have a young, diverse and growing population. At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities.