37 hours per week
Fixed term for one year to cover maternity leave
This role is office-based; however, it also offers some agile or remote working
Making a difference for care experienced young people
About Us: We are a dedicated and compassionate organization committed to providing safe, nurturing, and supportive homes for the children and young people we care for. Our mission is to ensure every child and young person is given the opportunity to thrive in a loving family setting.
Creating change together with our children, families and professional colleagues to ensure all children achieve their aspirations.
Job Description:
We are seeking a motivated and experienced Team Manager to lead our Next Steps team, ensuring high-quality practice that promotes stability, independence, and positive outcomes for care experienced young people.
In this key leadership role, you will provide clear direction, reflective supervision, and professional oversight to a team of personal advisers. You will ensure that statutory responsibilities are met, pathway plans are robust and young person centred, and that every young person’s voice is heard and acted upon.
Working collaboratively with internal and external partners—including, housing, education, health, and adult services—you will champion strong multi-agency practice and drive continuous improvement. You will use performance data, quality assurance activity, and professional judgement to maintain high standards of safeguarding, planning, and corporate parenting.
This role requires a confident leader with a strong understanding of the legislative framework for care experienced young people and children we care for, excellent decision-making skills, and the ability to motivate and develop staff. You will play a central role in shaping the experiences of children we care for ensuring they are supported to thrive.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage a team of personal advisers, providing supervision, support, and professional development.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, policies, and procedures.
- Ensure you and your team are committed to your parenting in partnership responsibilities (corporate parent)
- Driving the participation agenda to ensure young people are listened to and acted upon.
- Use quality assurance to monitor and evaluate the performance of the team to ensure high standards of practice.
- Ensure life story work is embedded in all we do.
- Ensure the safety of care experienced young people.
- Work collaboratively with partners to promote the welfare of young people.
- Ensure a focus on education and learning.
- Develop new legislative changes and keep abreast of best practice
- Manage budgets and resources effectively to deliver cost-efficient services.
- Maintain accurate records and prepare reports as required.
Requirements:
- Significant experience in working with children we care for and/or care experienced young people.
- Proven leadership and management skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong understanding of relevant legislation and best practices.
- Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
- Commitment to continuous professional development.
Benefits:
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
- Supportive and collaborative working environment.
- Flexible working arrangements.
- Relocation package available
For further information or an informal discussion please contact [email protected] or by calling on 01983 821000.
Join #TeamIWC and you'll receive our staff benefits package, including:
- Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays!
- Local Government pension scheme
- Discounted Solent ferry travel
- Island bus network discount
- Cycle to work scheme
- Staff parking permit scheme
- Discounted island sports & leisure gym membership
- National and local discounts & benefits schemes
- Relocation scheme of up to £8,000 may be available for some roles (subject to criteria)
- Travel allowance may be available if commuting from the mainland (subject to criteria)
The Isle of Wight Council currently does not have a license to sponsor overseas workers.
We actively promote the diversity of our workforce, and provide flexible working options (where appropriate) to support the different needs of our employees. We are an equal opportunities employer, proud to encourage applications from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to better reflect the diversity within our local community.
We are a Disability Confident employer. Along with a number of commitments, this means, providing you meet the basic essential requirements of the advertised role and have declared yourself as disabled, you will be offered an opportunity for an interview within the council.
The Isle of Wight Council protects its employees from discrimination, and this is supported by;
unacceptable behaviour policy
employee code of conduct
The Isle of Wight Council’s Terms & Conditions of employment are available upon request. Please contact our recruitment team via [email protected] if you would like to receive a copy.
The Isle of Wight Council reserve the right to close vacancies earlier than stated, if required. To ensure your application is considered, it is recommended to submit your application promptly.
Please note, appointment to a regulated role will require you to provide additional personal details, including full employment history, referee information, and consent for any required safeguarding checks, as part of the Council’s commitment to safer recruitment and compliance with regulatory requirements.
This council and its schools recruit according to the council’s Recruitment, Policy and Procedure and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.
For support completing your online application or for further information on how to apply, phone 01983 823134 or email [email protected] Only applications submitted online by the closing date will be accepted.
We often receive a high volume of applicants for our vacancies. If you do not hear from the recruiting manager within three weeks of the closing date, we regret that your application will not have been successful on this occasion. Please revisit our job page for alternate posts that may be suitable.
