Service Manager - Care Leaver Service

Job Title: Service Manager - Care Leaver Service
Starting Salary: £61,443 progressing to £68,775 per annum + Market Enhanced Payment
Hours: 37
Base Location: Stevenage with county wide travel required
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

Our Children Looked After, Separated Migrant and Care Leaver Service exists to ensure that every young person in our care — and every care leaver we support — has the stability, guidance and opportunities they need to thrive into adulthood. Our purpose is to provide consistent, relationship‑based support that helps young people feel safe, valued and empowered as they navigate their journey toward independence.

You will be joining a dedicated and passionate senior management group within a service made up of 15 teams, all working collaboratively to deliver high‑quality, trauma‑informed support. As the Care Leaver Service Manager, you will line mange four Care Leaver Team Managers and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our service, strengthening our practice, and ensuring we deliver the best possible outcomes for the young people we serve.

About the role

As an experienced manager, you will be a valued member of the management group, supporting the Children Looked After (CLA), Separated Migrant (SMC) and Care Leaver Teams to be the best corporate parent, delivering a high-quality service to Hertfordshire Children Looked After and Care Leavers.

Key responsibilities will see you:

• Work in partnership with a range of internal and external stake holders to lead and develop practice, identify, and respond to challenges and learn from our strengths. You will have the ability to develop and sustain partnership working and be an effective advocate for the Council.
• Ensure statutory obligations are met through the development and delivery of the service plan. You will drive excellence through the effective monitoring and evaluation of service performance, ensuring a capable, trained, supported, and supervised workforce
• Support your teams by developing strategies using your understanding of external influences, legislation, and council processes to continually improve the service.
• Lead and develop teams, inspiring best practice, and guiding and supporting your teams to deliver positive outcome.

You will also have the joy of working with the young people who are members of our Children in Care Council, ensuring that they are continuing to influence service delivery.

About you

Essential:

• Qualified & registered Social Worker
• Extensive post qualifying experience in frontline statutory services
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop practice within children’s services, including partnership working with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of statutory responsibilities and legislation relevant to Children Looked After services.
• Proven experience in service planning, performance management, and quality assurance.
• Ability to build, motivate, supervise, and support teams to achieve high standards of practice and outcomes.
• Strategic thinking skills with the ability to respond to challenges, learn from strengths, and drive continual service improvement.
• Effective communication, relationship‑building, and advocacy skills at a senior level.
• Full driving licence and regular access to a vehicle.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC14 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles - Health and social care

Passionate about achieving outcomes and making a difference, this is a senior management position in a service of likeminded, equally passionate professionals, all working towards the same goal.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Sarah Baker (sarah.baker@hertfordshire.gov.uk) for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 9th March 2026 (in person at Farnham House, Stevenage).

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.