Job Description
Peterborough City Council is seeking an experienced and dynamic Service Manager to lead their Children in Care service. This is a key leadership role, driving high‑quality practice, improving outcomes, and ensuring robust safeguarding for children and young people.
Daily Pay Rate: £450
Key Responsibilities
* Provide operational leadership across Children in Care and Leaving Care pathways, ensuring high‑quality and consistent practice.
* Line manage Team Managers, Social Workers and Personal Advisers, providing professional direction, supervision, and performance oversight.
* Ensure all care plans meet statutory requirements, including permanence, reunification and placement planning.
* Monitor service performance, audit cases, and uphold practice standards.
* Maintain strong oversight to ensure safe, compliant and effective service delivery.
* Contribute to wider service development and improvement initiatives, embedding best practice.
* Work collaboratively with fostering, adoption, health, education and other partner agencies to provide holistic support.
* Promote multi‑agency planning and coordinated interventions for children in care and care‑experienced young people.
* Prepare reports for senior leaders and represent the service at strategic and multi‑agency meetings.
* Ensure full compliance with statutory frameworks, safeguarding requirements and corporate parenting duties.
* Lead, develop and empower staff, supporting professional development and positive outcomes for children.
Skills & Experience
* Qualified Social Worker with Social Work England registration.
* Proven leadership and management experience within Children’s Social Care.
* Strong understanding of Children in Care, Leaving Care and permanency planning.
* Experience managing multi‑disciplinary teams and providing reflective supervision.
* Ability to analyse data, monitor performance, and drive service improvement.
* Confident in managing high‑risk, complex cases and making defensible decisions.
* Exceptional communication, influencing, and report‑writing abilities.
* Skilled in quality assurance, auditing, and maintaining high practice standards.
If you thrive to make a difference and have experience, then we would love to hear from you.