Service Manager - Leaving Care

Service Manager – Leaving Care
Nottingham City Council
£400 per day (Umbrella) | Locum/Interim Contract | Full-time (37 hrs) | Hybrid working

Nottingham City Council is looking for an experienced Service Manager to lead its Leaving Care service, supporting young people as they move from care to independence. This is a senior operational role where you’ll set direction, drive performance, and make sure care leavers get consistent, high-quality support that actually changes outcomes.

If you’re confident leading teams in a fast-paced statutory environment and you’ve got strong knowledge of leaving care duties, this is a brilliant opportunity to take ownership of a vital service area.

About the Role

You’ll be responsible for the day-to-day leadership and development of the Leaving Care service, ensuring the Council meets its statutory responsibilities and delivers a strong corporate parenting offer to young people (typically ages 16–25). You’ll work closely with internal teams and partner agencies to improve practice, strengthen pathways, and keep a sharp focus on measurable outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage the operational delivery of the Leaving Care service, ensuring statutory duties are met and young people receive consistent support.

  • Provide strong leadership to Team Managers, Personal Advisers and practitioners, driving performance, accountability and a positive team culture.

  • Ensure Pathway Plans are timely, high-quality, outcome-focused, and reviewed in line with legislation and local expectations.

  • Oversee safeguarding practice for care leavers, including risk management, escalation and multi-agency planning.

  • Drive quality assurance activity (audit, oversight, learning) to improve standards of practice and recording.

  • Work closely with partners (housing, education, health, police, DWP and commissioned providers) to remove barriers and strengthen the local offer.

  • Manage service resources effectively, including staffing, service development priorities and (where applicable) budgets/commissioned arrangements.

  • Contribute to wider service planning, inspection readiness and continuous improvement activity.

Practice Model

Nottingham’s approach is rooted in relationship-based, strengths-led practice. The Leaving Care service works as part of the Council’s wider corporate parenting responsibility—keeping the focus on stability, identity, safety, and long-term independence. You’ll champion reflective supervision, purposeful planning, and multi-agency problem-solving that keeps the young person’s voice at the centre.

Requirements

  • Significant management experience within Children’s Social Care, ideally including Leaving Care / Care Leavers / Through Care services.

  • Strong working knowledge of leaving care legislation and guidance (including Pathway Planning duties and corporate parenting responsibilities).

  • Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, driving performance and improving outcomes.

  • Confident decision-maker with strong risk management and safeguarding oversight.

  • Excellent stakeholder management skills across internal services and external partners.

  • Social Work qualification and Social Work England registration (preferred) or a clearly relevant equivalent professional background aligned to the remit.

Benefits

  • £400 per day (Umbrella)

  • Hybrid working options

  • High-impact leadership role with clear purpose and visible outcomes

  • Supportive senior leadership and collaborative partner landscape

  • Opportunity to lead service improvement and embed consistent quality