About By the Bridge with Cambian
By the Bridge with Cambian is an innovative, dynamic, independent therapeutic fostering organisation.
We are committed to providing high-quality foster care and wraparound services that transform the lives of children and young people. Our approach ensures that foster families feel valued, supported and able to make a real difference.
We are part of CareTech Community Services, one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist social care and education services, with a strong track record in delivering positive outcomes for children, young people and families.
The Role
We are seeking a highly experienced and inspirational Service Director to lead and develop our fostering services across the North West/ Yorkshire region. Reporting to the Managing Director of CareTech Fostering, you will hold responsibility for operational delivery, compliance, and financial performance, ensuring that our services remain safe, effective and sustainable.
As the Responsible Individual for the region, you will provide strategic leadership to Registered Managers, ensuring services are delivered in line with statutory regulations, National Minimum Standards and company policies. You will also play a key role in driving foster carer recruitment and retention, building strong relationships with local authorities, and shaping the future direction of fostering services in your region.
Fostering - Statutory / Care
* Hold responsibility for the actions of the South/North region of By the Bridge in particular ensuring that the registered manager is delivering the service in line with legislative requirements and company policies and procedures as well as supporting the delivery of the regional budget.
* Serve as Responsible Individual of the South/North region of the Agency within the terms of the Care Standards Act 2000 and related regulations and maintain robust oversight to ensure that the registered manager and registered office is adhering to the conditions of registration and requirements arising from inspection are appropriately met/acted upon.
* Ensure that all statutory requirements and functions for the Agency are undertaken according to relevant legislation, Regulations and National Minimum Standards, in particular: The Care Standards Act 2000; The Children Act 1989; Health & Safety legislation; Children and Young Person’s Act 2008.
* Ensure services are delivered and the region is managed in accordance with relevant government agendas and frameworks.
* Liaise with senior Local Authority personnel to ensure that commissioning arrangements are robust and new opportunities for working are explored.
* Review and present the regional budget monthly to the Managing Director.
* Keep abreast of national foster care development, research and policy, effecting implementation of the above within the Agency where appropriate.
* Ensure that the team is delivering its targets for assessment, training and supervision of foster carers and staff members in accordance with BTB policies and procedures, to fulfil the agency workload and maximise potential.
* Ensure that the team delivers a quality service with retention of foster carers a priority, also to continuously review regional carer retention targets and support the registered managers to ensure that they support and improve carer retention rates.
* Oversee the direction and line management of the Fostering Recruitment, Assessment and Panel Team.
* Work closely with the Director of Business Development to ensure that the region responds to placement requests effectively and efficiently with due regard to safeguarding and matching issues. And ensure that placements staff build effective relationships with customers and have due regard for customer care principles.
Quality Assurance
* Ensure senior leadership oversight of the regions compliance with legislative requirements, company policies and procedures to ensure that the region safeguards children/ young people and manages business risks. Work closely with the head of quality assurance and practice improvement to identify patterns and trends
* Oversight of complaints both internally from carers and children and ensure that the registered managers inform them of their rights and monitor patterns timescales and outcomes. Ensure that the protection of children/ young people and the promotion of their welfare is given absolute priority in all activities and that critical incidents/allegations are recorded, investigated and acted upon appropriately and in keeping with Park Foster Care’s and relevant local authority child protection procedures.
Business Performance & Planning
* Ensure that targets are set and achieved for carer recruitment and retention, placement growth, budget performance and profitability.
* Use support available from CareTech central team in the most effective and efficient manner to enhance agency’s performance
* Hold full accountability for business and outcomes performance of the region
* Ensure there is a business continuity action plan in place that is current, be fully aware of all potential business risks, and respond to any issues that may emerge and cascaded to the CareTech board of directors and staff.
* Lead the development, communication and implementation of the regional business plan and support its delivery through the management and supervision of staff
Reporting, Monitoring and Communication
* Report directly to the managing director CareTech fostering and works in partnership with divisional and central services accordingly.
* Directly supervise registered managers and panel managers and ensure that they are supervised according to CareTech’s Human Resources policies and procedures.
* Ensure that all staff receive adequate induction and training following a successful appointment in their roles, which takes into account professional and personal development.
* Ensure that regular management and staff meetings are held to ensure effective monitoring and review services delivered by the agency
* Develop effective communication methods, be responsible for delivering regular Team Briefings which disseminate corporate directives, key messages and relevant information on major developments and encourage discussion and feedback.
* To be pro-active in developing and supporting staff to be excellent communicators and to encourage good communication throughout all levels on the organisation, and actively promote a culture of realism, engagement and openness.
About You