Locum Safeguarding Team Manager

Team Manager (Children’s Services – Corporate Parenting, Children in Care)

Location:

 
North & Mid Devon – Devon County Council  

Brief Job Overview

 
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Team Manager to join Devon County Council’s Corporate Parenting Service, supporting children and young people within our Children in Care (CiC) teams across North & Mid Devon.  

Working alongside two established Team Managers, this role provides additional leadership capacity to strengthen supervision, improve outcomes, and ensure consistent, high-quality support for children and families. You will play a key role in maintaining practice excellence and driving the delivery of a restorative, relationship-based model across the service.  

Key Responsibilities

• Provide operational and professional leadership across both Children in Care teams, ensuring high-quality, consistent service delivery.
• Support the existing Team Managers by chairing meetings, overseeing casework, and providing timely advice and decision-making support.
• Lead on court work oversight, ensuring effective case planning, report quality, and timely submissions.
• Offer supervision and mentoring to social workers and assist with complex or urgent cases.
• Champion restorative and relationship-based practice within the team, modelling best practice and supporting staff development.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Children’s Services, Fostering, Education, and partner agencies to promote the best outcomes for children and young people in care.
• Ensure compliance with statutory duties, policies, and procedures and maintain a strong focus on safeguarding, permanence, and placement stability.
• Occasionally provide support to other service areas within Children and Families as needed, including chairing urgent meetings or assisting with complex issues.

About You

 
You are an experienced, confident, and supportive leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment. You bring a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of managing services for children in care and are passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for young people.  

You are skilled in relationship-building and restorative leadership, able to inspire and empower your team while maintaining clear direction and accountability. You can balance the operational demands of the role with a focus on staff development, supervision, and quality assurance.

Requirements

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Extensive post-qualifying experience within Children’s Social Care, including management or leadership at Team Manager level.
• Proven track record of working within Children in Care / Corporate Parenting services.
• Strong understanding of statutory duties, legislation, and best practice in relation to children’s social work and looked-after children.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, and develop practitioners to achieve improved performance and outcomes.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to restorative practice, reflection, and learning.
• Ability to work collaboratively across services and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Commitment to being on-site at least twice per week to maintain visibility and team connection.

Contract & Salary

• Job Type: Locum / Fixed-term
• Location: North & Mid Devon, Devon County Council
• Service Area: Corporate Parenting – Children in Care
• Contract Length: 3 months (with potential for extension)
• Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience
• Working Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week
• Working Pattern: Hybrid – minimum two days per week on-site

About the Service

 
Devon County Council’s Children in Care Service supports some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the county. Our teams are guided by restorative principles, building strong, supportive relationships that enable children to thrive.  

We are investing heavily in training and practice development to ensure our managers and practitioners have the tools and confidence to deliver outstanding care and lasting positive outcomes.

How to Apply

 
If you are an experienced and compassionate Team Manager with a passion for improving the lives of children and young people in care, we would love to hear from you.  
Please apply using the form on the page.