Fostering Manager

East of England | £60,000 - £70,000 + Bonus + Excellent Benefits Full Time | Permanent

Build Something Exceptional. Change a Child's Future.

Are you an experienced fostering leader ready for a unique opportunity to shape and grow a fostering service from the ground up?

This is more than a management role. It's an opportunity to play a pivotal role in creating a high-quality, child-centred fostering service that delivers stability, enduring relationships and outstanding outcomes for children and young people.

Working alongside an experienced senior leadership team, you'll have the autonomy to influence strategy, drive service development, support foster carers, and build a fostering community that makes a lasting difference. The successful candidate will lead the service across the East of England, supported by established children's residential and education services.

The Role

As Fostering Manager, you will provide operational and strategic leadership, ensuring the highest standards of safeguarding, compliance and support for children, young people and foster carers.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a team of Supervising Social Workers
• Overseeing the recruitment, assessment and approval of foster carers
• Supporting the supervision, training and ongoing development of foster carers and staff
• Driving service growth while maintaining exceptional quality standards
• Ensuring safeguarding, regulatory compliance, quality assurance and inspection readiness
• Overseeing placement matching, stability and positive outcomes for children and young people
• Developing innovative support services, including short-break, peer-support and Mockingbird-style initiatives
• Building strong relationships with local authorities, commissioners and key stakeholders
• Managing service performance, growth and financial sustainability
• Contributing to strategic planning and the future development of the fostering service

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A recognised Social Work qualification
• Current Social Work England registration
• Strong knowledge of fostering regulations, safeguarding and best practice
• Experience recruiting, assessing and supporting foster carers
• Experience leading and developing social work teams
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed, attachment-based and therapeutic practice
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and leadership skills
• Experience supporting children with complex and diverse needs
• The ambition, resilience and creativity to help build and grow a fostering service

We're looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with a practical, child-focused approach and a genuine passion for improving outcomes for children and young people.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive salary of £60,000 - £70,000
• Welcome bonus
• Performance-related bonuses
• Fully funded qualifications and ongoing professional development
• Health and wellbeing support through Pirkx
• Clear career progression opportunities
• Supportive and experienced leadership team
• The opportunity to shape the future of a growing fostering service

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