Locum Safeguarding Team Manager
Beverley, East Yorkshire
Team Manager – Children’s Social Care (Pathway / Leaving Care Team)
Brief Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced and dedicated Children’s Social Care Team Manager to join East Riding of Yorkshire Council, leading our Pathway (Leaving Care) Team. This team provides essential support to Children Looked After (CLA) and Care Leavers aged 16–25, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) and young refugees.
This is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people as they transition into adulthood. You’ll lead a team of committed social workers and pathway advisors, ensuring that every young person receives consistent, person-centred support that helps them achieve independence, stability, and positive life outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strong, supportive leadership to a team of social workers and pathway advisors working with care-experienced young people aged 16–25.
- Oversee casework for Children Looked After, Care Leavers, and UASC, ensuring statutory duties are met under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and Children Act 1989.
- Promote a high standard of social work practice, ensuring all interventions are strengths-based, outcome-focused, and young person-led.
- Lead, mentor, and develop staff through regular supervision, reflective practice, and performance management.
- Ensure pathway plans are timely, comprehensive, and tailored to each young person’s individual needs and aspirations.
- Work collaboratively with housing, education, employment, and health partners to ensure smooth transitions and effective multi-agency support.
- Champion the voices of care leavers and unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, ensuring their lived experiences shape service delivery.
- Oversee the quality assurance of casework, ensuring that statutory reviews, risk assessments, and plans meet service standards.
- Manage team performance, budgets, and resources effectively, ensuring timely responses to referrals and pathway planning.
- Contribute to service improvement, innovation, and development in line with corporate and statutory priorities.
About You
You are an experienced and confident Team Manager or Senior Social Worker with a proven record in Children’s Social Care, ideally within a Leaving Care, Pathway, or Looked After Children service.
You’ll bring excellent leadership skills, professional integrity, and a passion for improving outcomes for care-experienced young people. You’ll be a clear communicator, able to motivate and support your team to deliver consistently high standards of practice. You’ll also be adaptable, reflective, and confident in working with partner agencies to achieve the best outcomes for every young person.
Requirements
- Qualified Social Worker with registration through Social Work England.
- Substantial post-qualifying experience within Children’s Services, ideally in Leaving Care, Pathway, or Looked After Children Teams.
- Demonstrated leadership experience, with the ability to manage, motivate, and develop staff effectively.
- Excellent understanding of legislation, policy, and statutory responsibilities related to care leavers, UASC, and children in care.
- Strong organisational and decision-making skills, with a focus on outcomes and quality assurance.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and partnership-building abilities.
- Commitment to promoting equality, inclusion, and empowerment for young people transitioning into adulthood.
Contract & Salary
- Job Type: Locum
- Location: East Riding of Yorkshire Council
- Service Area: Children’s Social Care – Pathway (Leaving Care) Team
- Contract Length: 3 months (with potential for extension)
- Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience
- Working Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week
- Working Pattern: Hybrid / Office-based as required
How to Apply
If you’re a passionate and experienced leader in Children’s Social Care, with a commitment to supporting care leavers and young people to achieve their independence, we’d love to hear from you.
Please apply using the form on the page.