Are you ready to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and young people? If yes, we have the perfect opportunity for you! We’re seeking a dedicated and passionate Service Manager to join our Care and Permanence Service as we continue our improvement journey toward delivering an outstanding service for all children in our care. This is an exciting opportunity for a driven and compassionate Social Work Manager to truly make a difference. If you share our vision and bring the energy and determination to meet the challenges of high demand and complex needs, we’d love to hear from you. About the Role: As a Service Manager, you will provide strong, creative leadership to the Care and Permanence Service. You’ll be responsible for planning, organising, and managing your teams, offering clear operational oversight and effective support. By delegating effectively to your Team Managers, you’ll drive high performance and ensure timely, positive outcomes for children. You will work closely with the Head of Service to deliver on our service plan and overall vision of excellence. Your role will also include oversight of recruitment, service development, quality assurance, and the casework undertaken by your teams. While you report to the Head of Service, your ultimate accountability is to the children and young people we support - ensuring they receive the outstanding service they deserve and that their needs and rights are upheld at every stage. For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert. About You: We’re looking for a visible and inspiring leader - someone who sets high standards, drives results, and is fully committed to improving outcomes for children and young people. You’ll be passionate about relationship-based practice, bringing energy, empathy and confidence to your leadership. You’ll support and challenge your teams in equal measure, fostering a reflective and creative culture where high performance is the norm and children are always at the centre. We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate: Strong, visible leadership with the ability to inspire, support, and challenge teams A proven track record in managing operational teams within children’s social care Excellent knowledge of legislation, social work best practices, and systemic approaches Excellent analytical, planning, and organisational skills A creative, solution-focused mindset with the ability to manage complex situations Exceptional communication skills and experience working with a range of stakeholders, including children, families, and carers A solid understanding of local authority budgets and how to deliver services efficiently and effectively A strong commitment to systemic practice, restorative approaches, and enabling practitioners to build meaningful relationships with children and young people About Us: At Southwark, we are committed to being the best possible Corporate Parent for our children in care. Our focus is on securing permanence for those who cannot live with their birth families, while building strong, nurturing relationships with every child and young person we support. We take pride in our passionate, ambitious approach to achieving the best outcomes. Our teams work hard to navigate the challenges that can arise in alternative care settings, always striving to provide compassionate, consistent support to children, young people and their carers. Additional Information: 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 Contact Information: For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Elaine Reid at .uk Benefits and more information: https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/ Recruitment Timeline: Advert close date: 11:59pm on Sunday 18th May 2025 Shortlisting date/s: Week commencing 19th May Interview date/s: Thursday 29th & Friday 30th May 2025 The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. 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. Guaranteed Interview Scheme: 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 About Southwark: 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.?Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and t