This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

Job Title: Service Manager, Children in Care
Job Location: Shire Hall, Block 5, 4th Floor
Salary: £60,532 - £63,895 per annum
Hours per Week: 37.00
Contract Type: Permanent
Duration:
Closing Date: 16/09/2026
Job Requisition Number: 14841
This post is open to job share OR This post is not open to job share

Service Manager Children in Care - Stability Provision

At Gloucestershire, we are committed to ensuring the very best outcomes for our Children in Care. To achieve this, we need exceptional social work leaders, those who are passionate, driven, and ready to make a real difference. If that sounds like you, this could be an ideal opportunity.

We are proud of the progress we’ve made and the strong foundations we’ve built and as we continue to deliver excellent services to our children, we are looking to appoint an additional Service Manager to lead our stability provision as part of our Children in Care Services. This is a pivotal role, created to provide dedicated leadership and advocacy for children in care, ensuring they have access to the right support and the best opportunities to thrive.

As one of five Service Managers within our Corporate Parenting Service, you will report directly to our Heads of Service and take the lead in shaping and overseeing:

the development and delivery of effective services for Children in Care and those who care for them.
lead and develop support systems that promote stability and positive experiences for children during their time in care.
strategic partnership working across agencies to ensure children’s needs are met and their potential realised.

Our service is underpinned by a set of core principles:

outcome-focused: We aim high and deliver on our promises
collaborative: We work closely with children, families, colleagues, and partners
strengths-based: We build on what’s working and foster strong relationships
reflective: We challenge ourselves to ask, “so what?” and ensure our actions lead to meaningful change
invested in people: We create the conditions for excellent social work to flourish

Children in Care Service Manager – Role Summary

We’re looking for a skilled and knowledgeable leader who can inspire and support their team to deliver high-quality, impactful practice. You’ll play a key role in creating a culture that puts children at the heart of everything we do and drives continuous improvement across the service.

You will:

lead a number of teams, consisting of managers and practitioners with responsibilities for supporting children in care, developing them to become skilled, effective and motivated individuals who want the best outcomes for children and will work tirelessly to achieve this
be responsible for leading and developing a new service area which has around 50 staff who will work across the county of Gloucestershire supporting children in care
be accountable for the rigorous implementation of the children’s services quality assurance framework to monitor and review performance (compliance and quality), taking action to build on strengths and respond to areas for improvement
support and work within the wider leadership team to develop service plans to measure the effectiveness of the outcomes that are set
create and transform stability services and take the lead on the stability of our children in care, reunification, family time and SGO support.
deputise for the Head of Service on occasions

For more details, please contact the Head of Service: Tammy.wheatley@gloucestershire.gov.uk / 01452 324077

Interviews are due to be held at Shire Hall on 21st September 2026.

We reserve the right to close an advertisement earlier than the stated closing date if we receive a suitable number of applications.

We may be able to offer sponsorship for this role, in line with Home Office guidance and subject to pre-employment checks. Applicants must already hold a valid right to work in the UK that Gloucestershire County Council can transfer.

Under the terms of our Safer Recruitment Policy, if you are invited to interview, we will take up safeguarding references prior to your interview to understand your suitability to work with vulnerable children. These references will then be discussed in your interview. Please give details of at least two referees, one of whom must be your present and/or last employer and the other from a previous employer(s). These will need to cover the last three years of employment/education. In the case of applicants leaving full time education or not having worked since doing so, the Head of School, College or University should be one of the named referees. We do not accept references from friends or family members or workplace colleagues (who are not more senior). To ensure we process your application in a speedy and efficient way, we will contact your referees by DocuSign. Where appropriate, please inform them of your application.

Additional Information

To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:-

Service Manager job profile

This position is subject to a DBS check.

Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.

Service Manager, Children in Care

Requirements

Job Description

Skills