Service Manager Fostering & Permanency

Service Manager – Fostering & Permanency
London
£400-£450 per day umbrella
Full time hybrid
Initial 3 month interim contract

CVs are being reviewed immediately and interviews will be arranged promptly.

Reporting into the Assistant Director for Corporate Parenting, you will lead high‑performing fostering, kinship and permanency services within a forward‑thinking London local authority.

You will play a pivotal role in ensuring children achieve stable, loving and long‑term homes through excellent assessment, robust permanency planning and trauma‑informed practice. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of corporate parenting, strengthen carer recruitment and retention, and drive high‑quality, child‑centred practice across the service.

About your Role as Service Manager – Fostering & Permanency:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across fostering, kinship care and permanency services
• Act as Registered Manager for the fostering service, ensuring full compliance with legislation, regulations and Ofsted requirements
• Drive timely, high‑quality assessments including Form F, viability assessments, Reg 24, Form K and SGO support plans
• Lead permanency planning to reduce drift and delay, ensuring evidence‑based and timely decision‑making
• Embed trauma‑informed, motivational and strengths‑based practice across teams
• Oversee quality assurance, performance management and inspection readiness
• Strengthen partnership working with safeguarding, health, education, commissioning, legal, and external agencies
• Support recruitment, assessment and retention of foster carers and kinship carers
• Ensure effective budget management, forecasting and value‑for‑money commissioning
• Represent the service at panels, boards and multi‑agency forums

Your required experience as Service Manager – Fostering & Permanency:

• Current Social Work England registration and significant management experience in statutory children’s social care
• Strong understanding of fostering, kinship, SGO, permanency and corporate parenting responsibilities
• Expertise in managing high‑risk cases, care planning and statutory decision‑making
• Understanding of child development, separation, loss, DDP, trauma-informed practice and anti‑racist practice
• A track record of leading high‑performing teams through improvement, innovation and cultural change

If you’re interested in discussing this opportunity in more detail or know someone who may be a good fit, please contact the team today or apply now.

Our clients are committed to building a diverse workforce and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Recruitment decisions are based solely on skills and experience. Reasonable adjustments during application and onboarding will always be supported.

(We offer a senior referral scheme upon successful placement of your recommendation – please get in touch.)

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