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

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 towards 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 manage 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.

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.

• Work in partnership with a range of internal and external stakeholders 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.

• 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.

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

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Sarah Baker (sara) for an informal discussion about the role.

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.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established…