Children Social Work Team Manager (Leaving Care Team)

Working Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract Type: Full time / Permanent

Additional Payments: Essential car user allowance

Closing Date: 09 June 2026

Closing time: 11.59pm

Interview Method: Face to Face

This role is subject to:

• Legal right to Work: In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment.
• 2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history.
• Social Work Qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Medical Clearance - Pre-placement health assessment (PPHA)
• Essential Car Documentation- This post is a designated Essential Car User. Therefore, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work. You will receive the Essential Car User Allowance
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance - this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here. We have a policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders, and it is available upon request.

About the Service

Manchester is a city of sanctuary, built on compassion, resilience and diversity. Our New Arrivals Leaving Care Service supports young people aged 18–21 who arrived in the UK as separated children from around the world and are now transitioning into adulthood.

These young people bring remarkable strengths, skills and resilience. As corporate parents, we are committed to providing consistent, high‑quality support that helps them feel safe, valued and able to build positive and independent futures in Manchester.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and committed Team Manager (Qualified Social Worker) to lead this specialist Leaving Care team.

• You will provide professional leadership and oversight to a team of Personal Advisors, ensuring high standards of practice, effective safeguarding and compliance with statutory duties for care‑experienced young people.
• You will play a key role in shaping culturally responsive, trauma‑informed support for young adults with complex life experiences, including migration and asylum journeys.
• This role requires a strong professional identity as a social worker, alongside excellent leadership, reflective practice skills and emotional intelligence.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and managing a specialist Leaving Care team supporting young people aged 18–21
• Providing reflective supervision, guidance and professional oversight to staff
• Ensuring statutory leaving care responsibilities are met consistently and to a high standard
• Promoting strengths‑based, relationship‑centred and trauma‑informed practice
• Supporting staff to navigate complex immigration, legal, housing and safeguarding issues
• Working in partnership with internal services, legal representatives and voluntary sector organisations
• Driving quality assurance, learning and continuous service improvement
• Championing the voices, rights and aspirations of care‑experienced young people

You will be a qualified and registered Social Worker who:

• Holds a recognised social work qualification (Degree/Diploma)
• Is registered with Social Work England
• Has significant experience working with care‑experienced young people, leaving care services and/or separated or unaccompanied children
• Has proven experience of managing or supervising staff in a social care setting
• Understands the impact of trauma, migration, loss and cultural transition
• Is confident managing complexity, risk and multi‑agency working
• Shares Manchester’s commitment to anti‑racist practice, equality and inclusion
• Leads with empathy, resilience and high professional standards

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring manager, Kate Williams, at 07773206451 and [email protected] to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

We would welcome applications from candidates who demonstrate the following experience:

Essential requirements for the role:

Professional Experience:

• Significant post‑qualifying experience working with care‑experienced children and/or young people, including Leaving Care
• Experience of working with separated or unaccompanied children, migrants, refugees and/or asylum‑seeking young people
• Proven experience of managing, supervising or providing professional oversight to staff in a social care setting
• Experience of safeguarding, risk management and decision‑making in complex cases
• Experience of multi‑agency working, including with housing, legal services, health, education and voluntary sector partners

Knowledge & Understanding:

In‑depth understanding of statutory duties under:

• Children Act 1989
• Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000
• Relevant regulations, statutory guidance and best practice frameworks

Strong understanding of:

• Trauma, loss, attachment and resilience
• The impact of migration, displacement and cultural transition
• Corporate parenting responsibilities and children’s rights
• Knowledge of quality assurance, performance management and inspection requirements
• Awareness of equality, diversity and anti‑racist practice, particularly in relation to care‑experienced and racially minoritised young people

Leadership & Management Skills:

• Ability to lead, manage and motivate a multidisciplinary team to high standards of performance
• Skilled in providing reflective, evidence‑informed supervision and professional consultation
• Strong decision‑making skills, including in high‑pressure or emotionally complex situations
• Ability to manage competing priorities, workloads and service demands
• Experience of contributing to service development, improvement and change initiatives
• Ability to monitor and manage performance, quality indicators and budgets

Professional Skills & Behaviours:

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess and synthesise complex information
• Excellent communication skills, able to convey complex information clearly and sensitively
• Organised and forward‑thinking, with effective planning and time‑management skills
• Emotionally intelligent, resilient and reflective in leadership approach
• Values‑driven, strengths‑based and relationship‑centred in practice
• Demonstrates Manchester’s core behaviours:
• Proud and passionate about Manchester
• Listens and understands
• Takes ownership and embraces learning
• Works collaboratively and values difference

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience of leading or contributing to inspection preparation (e.g. Ofsted)
• Experience of working in specialist Leaving Care or New Arrivals services
• Knowledge of immigration and asylum systems as they relate to care‑experienced young people
• Experience of co‑producing service improvements with young people

Personal Qualities:

• Strong professional identity as a qualified social worker
• Empathetic, compassionate and culturally responsive
• Committed to promoting the voices, rights and aspirations of care‑experienced young people
• Reflective, curious and committed to continuous professional development
• Passionate about reducing inequality and improving outcomes for young adults leaving care

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. 

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone. 

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer 

• Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks during our annual leave purchase period. 
• A buzzing pension - You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum. 
• Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events. 
• Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more. 
• Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process. 
• A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life. 
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits. 

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council 

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people. 

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone. 

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme 

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long-term condition

 When You Join Us 

We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email [email protected]. 

What we will need from you if you're successful 

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.  

Pre-Employment Checks 

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for, see the top of the advert for details.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve. 

Other relevant information 

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role. 

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