Job Introduction
Job Title: Children's Service Manager - Kinship Service
Starting Salary: £61,443 progressing to £68,775 per annum + market enhanced payment
Weekly Hours: 37 per week
Base Location: Farnham House, Stevenage*
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services
*The service has teams across 2 sites , one in Hemel and one in Stevenage
About the team
Due to an internal promotion an exciting opportunity has arisen for a service manager to manage our 2 kinship teams and our fostering and adoption panel advisors and shape the vision of kinship care in Hertfordshire.
You will supervise the 2 team managers and the panel advisors
The kinship teams are made of qualified social workers and children’s practitioners. The teams are well established and motivated to get the best outcomes for children.
We are raising the profile of kinship care and are looking for someone with the drive and commitment to lead our kinship service and enable children to live in stable homes within their family network. The postholder will work closely with social care teams across children’s services to ensure children have the right care plan in place at the earliest opportunity. You will also link with partner agencies across health, education, and housing.
About the role
To be responsible for the delivery of services to kinship families including:
- Management of the 2 kinship teams and the panel advisors for fostering and adoption panels.
- Attendance at fostering panel in the absence of the panel advisor
- Assessments of kinship carers including special guardianship assessments and kinship fostering assessments.
- Support services for kinship foster carers ,special guardianship carers and private foster carers and children.
- Supervision and support of kinship foster carers ensuring national minimum standards are met.
- Contribution to wider service developments
- Performance management including oversight of service performance, data and resource management
- Financial oversight of a range of budgets as well as financial agreements linked to special guardianship allowances.
- Work with colleagues across children’s services to keep children within their family network where it is safe to do so
The post holder will be expected to spend time with both teams and attend relevant meetings at both sites with an average of 2 days office working and remainder home working
About you
Essential:
- Social work qualified and registered
- At least 3 years management experience
- Experience and awareness of the processes involved in assessing and supporting kinship carers
- A sound understanding of kinship care (including special guardianship and kinship foster care ) and current developments
- Full driving licence and regular access to a vehicle.
- Excellent communication skills
- Budget management skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to develop the support offer for a diverse community of carers
- Visionary leadership skills
Desirable:
- Experience of working with kinship carers at management level
- Experience of working in a fostering service at management level
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 level 14 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles - Health and social care
To hear more about this opportunity please contact Claire Frampton (claire.frampton@hertfordshire.gov.uk) for an informal discussion about the role.
Interview Date: 8th May 2026 - Face to Face - Stevenage
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.