Principal Manager Young Peoples Service in Stoke-on-Trent

We have a wide range of opportunities across Childrens Social Care. These roles will play a vital part in supporting children, young people and families across Stoke-on-Trent. We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and passionate social work leader to join Stoke-on-Trent Childrens Social Care as Principal Manager within our Young Peoples Service. Our Young Peoples Service supports cared-for young people and care leavers at an important stage in their lives. We want every young person we work with to feel heard, valued and supported to achieve their ambitions, develop lasting relationships and move into adulthood with confidence. As Principal Manager, you will play a key leadership role in making that happen. You will provide strong operational and professional leadership across the service, supporting managers and practitioners to deliver high-quality, relational and ambitious practice. You will maintain oversight of performance, quality and risk while ensuring that the experiences, wishes and aspirations of young people remain at the heart of decision-making. This is more than managing a service. It is an opportunity to shape practice, develop our workforce, strengthen partnerships and influence how we support young people across Stoke-on-Trent.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the Young Peoples Service
• Ensure high-quality care planning, pathway planning and statutory practice
• Lead, support and develop managers, social workers and practitioners
• Promote strong, reflective and relationship-based practice
• Maintain oversight of performance, quality assurance, risk and outcomes
• Strengthen partnership working across Childrens Social Care, education, health, housing, employment and wider services
• Champion ambitious corporate parenting and positive transitions into adulthood
• Ensure the voices and lived experiences of young people genuinely influence their plans and the development of services
• Drive continuous improvement and contribute to the wider leadership and development of Childrens Social Care

Candidate Profile

• We are looking for an experienced and confident leader who combines strong professional judgement with a genuine commitment to young people., An experienced manager and leader within Childrens Social Care
• Knowledgeable about children in care, care leavers and Corporate Parenting
• Confident leading complex practice and decision-making
• Experienced in performance management, quality assurance and service improvement
• Able to build effective relationships and partnerships across agencies
• Comfortable providing both support and professional challenge
• Committed to restorative, relational, strengths-based and anti-discriminatory practice
• Passionate about listening to young people and ensuring their voices shape the services they receive

About Stoke-on-Trent City Council

• We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. Working for Stoke-on Trent City Council is more than just a job, it's about making, protecting and improving the services for the local population, reducing inequalities and improving independence for the people who live and work in the city. And thats where you come in. We are always looking for people of the highest calibre with skills, knowledge and experience to help us deliver our compelling vision.
• Stoke-on-Trent City Councils diverse and talented workforce is its greatest asset and most valuable resource. The skills, knowledge and experience of our c.4,600 employees are essential to delivering our ambitions and vision for our organisation and Stoke-on-Trent. We want to be an employer that people are proud to work for, and where our staff are supported, developed and rewarded in an inclusive way that helps them to excel and to deliver the high-quality services that our residents need.
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council is a unitary authority employing approximately 4,600 staff who deliver 700 services to more than 260,000 residents. Our city comprises of six towns: Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. We have undergone significant changes over the last few years. New ways of working have already transformed many service areas and we are determined to continue to develop more innovative approaches to ensure that we can maximise the benefits of transformation.
• Our city Although the 13th largest city in the UK, Stoke-on-Trent is rapidly outstripping a number of parts of the country with our economic growth and recovery. Stoke-on-Trent is a city with a strong sense of civic pride - we've been voted the kindest city in the UK - and a place where you'll receive a hugely warm welcome. We have a rich and diverse culture, steeped in our prestigious industrial heritage as the celebrated 'world capital of ceramics'. But we don't just want to celebrate our proud past - we firmly believe that Stoke-on-Trent's best years are ahead of it. We are determined to raise aspirations and match them with high-quality education and health provision, as well as improved opportunities to secure fulfilling and well-paid work. Through uniting social and economic opportunities, we are maximising the full power of the city council as a secure and steadfast institution within the city.

Benefits

• A competitive salary based on your skills, experience and talent
• Hybrid and flexible working options
• An excellent local authority benefits pension scheme
• Professional development through learning opportunities, regular training sessions and apprenticeship and management schemes

Pre-Employment Checks

• Right to Work in the UK
• Proof of address
• Satisfactory references
• Occupational Health Clearance
• Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations
• DBS check at the appropriate level

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successful applicant will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Please note that if an employee who is currently at risk of redundancy within the organisation applies for this vacancy their application will receive priority. If this happens you will be advised accordingly. Your career matters here. At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we're committed to helping our people thrive. From competitive pay and a supportive working environment to opportunities for development and career progression, we invest in our workforce because we know they're our greatest asset. We're building an inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve, where everyone is welcomed, valued and encouraged to make a difference.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our community, and we want our workforce to reflect that. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We understand that some people, especially those from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply if they don't meet all the listed requirements. If this role interests you and you think you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply. We are proud of what makes each of us unique and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels included, can be themselves, and can succeed together.

When you work for Stoke-on-Trent City Council you'll be helping to improve the lives and wellbeing of our residents. We'll provide you with support, learning opportunities and flexible working options and some amazing benefits including a competitive salary, generous holidays, an excellent defined local authority benefit pension scheme, annual leave purchase scheme, cycle to work schemes just to name a few. We also have access to lifestyle benefits which offer a wide range of discounts such as family days out, travel, retail and many more. Our commitment to you Vibrancy and diversity are two of Stoke-on-Trent's greatest assets. A city founded on creative endeavour should value and celebrate the multitude of voices, ideas and identities that shape its culture. We are committed to creating a culture which is truly inclusive, where all staff feel valued, listened to, supported and able to do their work to the best of their abilities at all times. And we must ensure that our decisions and policies nurture and empower communities across our city and do not inadvertently disadvantage groups and individuals that we want to help to thrive. Our approach to Equality and Diversity is an invitation to all our communities to work with and for us so we can continue to improve how we deliver services residents need. Our employee networks are inclusive, open forums for colleagues with similar lived experiences. They allow staff to meet, support and mentor each other, alongside being a voice for under-represented groups to advise and support the organisation when developing policies and services.