Childrens Services Manager
Action for ChildrenRole: Childrens Services Manager
Salary: £53,900 per annum (we are willing to exceed this salary for an exceptional candidate)
Location: Derbyshire
Contract/Hours: Permanent – Full Time – 37 hours a week
The role is based in Derbyshire, however there is potential for travel within the East Midlands and across England to support other Action for Children services.
Diversity and Inclusion:
At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace.
We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.
Male staff are under-represented in our Children Service roles, and we encourage more male applicants.
Vulnerable children in the UK need your help.
Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.
Last year, we helped more than 688,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.
Why Action for Children?
Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.
A bit about the service:
Action for Children runs a therapeutic service for Children in Care and Care Leavers, known as The DECC, primarily targeted at improving the emotional wellbeing and resilience of children in care. Over time this has grown to include other areas of work such as Staying Close pilot for care leavers, Harmful Sexualised Behaviour services, bespoke complex need provision, among other areas of new growth.
Predominantly The DECC aims to improve outcomes for children in care via a systemic offer, drawing on a range of therapies and models, all of which are trauma and attachment informed. These include - Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Theraplay, creative therapies, reflective practice, systemic therapy, among others. From its specialist, stable multi-disciplinary staff team, a range of services are offered, including direct therapeutic interventions, consultation, group-work, training and developing online self-help resources.
The service has its primary base in central Derbyshire, in Cromford, with a satellite base in Derby City.
Additional to these local contracts, Action for Children is developing an internal Therapeutic Service. This internal provision will support our own children’s homes and other teams across the charity, as well as develop a menu of services that can be commissioned externally. This is an exciting time of development which will require an innovative and creative approach.
This role will oversee the core contracts within Derby and Derbyshire, supporting the staff team to realise our ambition that all children in care live in environments that are therapeutically and trauma informed. The successful person will lead the service team compassionately, promoting psychological safety alongside high quality safe practice. The role will also be instrumental in leading the expansion of the internal Therapeutic Service – an exciting new initiative. A key priority will be ensuring the stability and continuity of the local contracts, whilst holding the vision for growth and staff skillset retention, in a way that is financially sustainable and supports high quality practice.
How you will create bright futures:
- Developing and maintaining effective networks, relationships, partnerships, and contacts to improve service outcomes.
- Successful management and delivery of commissioned services, including managing and developing operational services for children, young people, and their families.
- Draw on your sound knowledge of the needs of children in care and trauma informed practice, to ensure strong and boundaried oversight of the service delivery.
- Leading, motivating, and managing a multidisciplinary staff team working in complex environments.
- Managing the submission of tenders and nurturing new business opportunities.
- Providing visible, enabling, and supporting leadership to promote and encourage a work ethos that is consistent with our values and objectives.
- Demonstrating financial and commercial acumen and awareness through management of budgets, costing and analytics.
- Managing change projects that are service or practice focused.
- Collecting, monitoring, and analysing data and management information.
Excellent written and communicative skills, also to lead, chair and contribute at meetings.
You will need:
- The ability to promote the highest standards of safeguarding and trauma informed practice.
- Knowledge of the needs of children in care, how their needs can present and the impact this can have on emotional wellbeing.
- Team collaboration skills, as you are holding and containing a staff team working in highly distressing environments as well as working with business development, finance, fundraising and other colleagues,
- Effective leadership skills, that promotes both psychological safety as well as high performance.
- Ability to provide line reports with regular supervision, performance reviews and apply other HR responsibilities.
- Experience of creating and managing budgets, to achieve the required margins through use of agreed controls and monitoring processes.
Benefits
- 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave.
- Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities.
- Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
- Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers’ discounts.
Interviews will be held in our Cromford office on Wednesday 1st April.
Application Process
There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.
Contact: Recruitment Partner Sarah Manderfield on 01923 361743 or email sarah.manderfield@actionforchildren.org.uk if require any further information quoting reference 12270
See below for further information about working with us:
Action for Children Employee Benefits
Management Competency Framework
Action for Children - Driven by Love