Team Manager – Care Leavers Service

Job Introduction

Team Manager – Care Leavers Service

Pay: PO6 £51,356 - £54,495 + £3000 annual Retention Payment

Contract: Permanent & Maternity Cover, Full-Time-37 Hours

Location: Bradford, Odsal, BD6 1AT

Office/Hybrid Arrangement – 5 days per week over 37 hours.

Working for the Bradford Children and Families Trust offers the opportunity to work with some great people who are passionate about delivering change in a city whose culture offers as much diversity as it’s geography. You can make a real difference to families and children and be an active part in delivering the service Bradford families should receive.

We are fully committed to equal opportunities and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Ofsted Recognition

In the most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2026, the experiences and progress of care leavers in Bradford were judged to be Good.

Inspectors found that services for children, young people and care leavers had improved significantly since the previous inspection. They highlighted:

• Strong leadership and strategic direction.
• Improved workforce stability.
• Effective partnership working.
• Better oversight and performance management.
• A confident and supported workforce.
• Professionals who are increasingly able to develop meaningful relationships with children, young people and care leavers.
• Improved experiences and outcomes for care-experienced young people.

About the Role

As a Team Manager in the Care Leavers Service, you will play a key part in promoting independence, driving positive outcomes, and making a lasting difference in the lives of care experienced young people.

You will lead and inspire a dedicated team of Personal Advisors and Practice Supervisors, ensuring excellent relational and restorative practice and consistent support for care-experienced young people. You will provide high-quality supervision, drive performance, and champion a culture of learning and improvement across the service.

The service is looking to recruit two managers. One team manager will be maternity cover for an established and mature Care Leaver Team. The other team manager will be permanent and lead a team of personal advisors and a practise supervisor for a newly created Leaving Care Team.

You’ll also

• Lead and manage a team to deliver outstanding pathway planning and support for care-experienced young people.
• Ensuring pathway planning and care planning are robust, aspirational, and focused on improving outcomes for children in care and care leavers.
• Driving planning, outcomes, quality assurance and practice improvement through audits, observations, and reflective supervision.
• Supporting the development of the Care Leavers Local Offer and contributing to service-wide initiatives.
• Working collaboratively with multi-agency partners to ensure young people receive the support they need.
• Strong decision-making skills and the adaptability to thrive in a dynamic setting.
• Champion staff development and wellbeing and contribute to the development of our learning culture.
• Contribute to service development and innovation, helping shape strategies that make a real difference.

To be a confident and proactive social worker manager with a strong commitment to relational practice and corporate parenting principles. You will have:

• A recognised social work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Significant experience in children’s social care, including work with children in care and care-experienced young people.
• Depth of knowledge and experience in respect of safeguarding and permanency planning.
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams, providing high-quality supervision and support.
• Strong relationship building, communication and partnership-working skills.
• A passion for improving outcomes and reducing disadvantage for care-experienced young people.

You’ll also be joining an organisation that truly values its people, offering a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and work-life balance, including:

• Retention Payment: You will be eligible for our annual retention payment, paid in 12 monthly instalments. This is non contractual (reviewed annually)

• Generous annual leave - 31 days rising to 34 with service, plus bank holidays
• Excellent Local Government pension
• Family-friendly policies and enhanced parental leave
• Health & wellbeing support, including Occupational Health and counselling
• Professional development and career progression opportunities
• we are a National Living Wage employer

For full details of our benefits, please see the attached ‘Our Benefits’ brochure.

Bradford Children and Families Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.

If shortlisted, you will be required to disclose relevant information regarding criminal history prior to interview.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including a check against the Children’s barred list, will be carried out on preferred candidates.

To arrange an informal discussion, please contact Jon Nevill at Sign in to view email or call 07483-442923

Closing Date: 26 July 2026

Interviews: To take place W/C 03/08.

• Salary PO6 - £51,356 - £54,495 per annum + £3,000 Retention Payment
• Job Reference bradfordcft/TP/652/632
• Contract Type Full Time / Permanent
• Closing Date 26 July, 2026
• Job Category Corporate Parenting
• Location Bradford, United Kingdom
• Posted on 13 July, 2026