Vacancies

Strategic Manager - Children in Care

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity for you to join our Senior Management Team within the Children in Care Service to play a crucial role in NCT’s improvement journey.

Are you a forward thinking, child centred senior leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people?
Are you an experienced leader in children’s social care, able to inspire others to drive a sustainable improvement to the lives of children and families?

Driving positive change and supporting the awesome workforce that make that change achievable can only happen with fantastic leadership and this is a great opportunity to join a forward looking and ambitious service.

You will be responsible for leading and motivating the Children in Care Service and will lead our award winning Circle to Success Programme delivering a high-quality service to our cared for children and young people. Your focus will be on ensuring all children and young people are well supported to maximise their life chances; where they can thrive in our care, are safe from any harm or abuse, have access to the best education and training, and feel prepared for adulthood. This is a key operational and strategic management role and an essential part of our improvement journey.

This is a senior leadership role requiring both strategic foresight and operational excellence. You will lead multi-disciplinary teams and Service Managers, ensuring that children receive high-quality, trauma informed care that supports their emotional wellbeing, education, identity, and long-term stability.

You will lead from the front, motivating and energising your team and the ability to engage and collaborate will be key. You will manage with compassion and patience instilling confidence and enabling transformation. You will be a competent decision maker with fantastic leadership and management skills and possess an unwavering passion and commitment to make a difference to the lives of children and young people.

For more information or to arrange an informal discussion please contact Olivia.Ives@nctrust.co.uk or Colin.Foster@nctrust.co.uk

What will you be doing?

You will have a proven track record in managing excellent service delivery and leading service improvement. You will be able to operate with equal success in the here and now but also have the vision and ambition to look ahead, develop strategic improvement plans and deliver on them to improve outcomes for children in care.

As part of the Corporate Parenting Service senior management team, you’ll be a vital link between management, commissioners, practitioners and those who make strategic decisions in partner agencies. You should have a proven track record in managing excellent service delivery and leading service improvement. Familiarity with Children’s Social Care Inspection Framework and experience with inspections is essential.

About you

You must have a BA in Social Work or Diploma in Social Work, CQSW or CSS, or other professional social work qualification recognised by Social Work England
You can inspire colleagues and stakeholders to fully engage with the aims and the long-term vision
You have experience of embedding an inclusive culture of creating positive and supporting teams
You can communicate with conviction and clarity in the face of tough negotiations or challenges
You share your expertise through coaching and mentoring to support teams to succeed
Using a range of quality assurance tools, you will drive high quality and efficient service delivery
You can translate strategic priorities into clear outcome focused objectives for managers and teams
You will have had previous experience of being involved in an Ofsted inspection

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

SWE Registration paid yearly (social care colleagues)
Relocation costs of up to £8,000
Retention bonus payments for established personnel
28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of all we do – in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them. The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils.

Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be.

We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is very much welcomed.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation.  We are a disability confident employer and have a commitment to care experienced young people who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.

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