Care Leavers Project Manager

How you’ll make a difference

The Care Leavers Project Manager is a unique and rewarding role at the heart of our commitment to being the very best Corporate Parent to care leaders across South Gloucestershire.

You will coordinate and deliver a high-quality Local Offer, ensuring care leavers have access to the support, opportunities and services they need to thrive as they move towards independence. This is a creative role that provides the opportunity to shape new approaches. You will continually explore ways to enhance services and create pathways that enable young people to thrive as they begin their adult lives.

What you will be doing

• Working collaboratively with internal and external partners, influencing a whole-system approach to Corporate Parenting, ensuring services and opportunities for care leavers are ambitious, responsive and aligned to their needs and aspirations.
• Overseeing a small team consisting of two Transition Coordinators and an Engagement worker, offering support, guidance and direction to deliver high-quality services and achieve the best possible outcomes for care leavers.
• Leading the implementation, development and continuous improvement of the care leavers Local Offer, ensuring it remains relevant, accessible and responsive to the needs of care-experienced young people.
• Championing the voice of care leavers, ensuring their experiences and perspectives influence service development and decision-making across Children’s Services and wider council services. Through constructive support and challenge, promoting high standards of practice and contributing to our ambition of making South Gloucestershire the very best Corporate Parent it can be.
• Securing and developing social value commitments from local businesses, employers and partner organisations, including free or discounted goods and services, and encouraging commitment to the Care Leaver Charter and Employer Charter from businesses, heads of service, directors and elected members across the council.
• Serving as a visible role model for best practice, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of leading-edge best practice through research, review and personal development. Ensuring that processes enable professionals to work creatively and effectively with children, young people, families and partner agencies, resulting in a Local Offer that reflects need and delivers meaningful impact.

What we need from you

• Possession of a recognised and relevant professional qualification, such as a degree or equivalent professional qualification in a related discipline (e.g. social work or project management).
• Substantial post-qualification experience within a relevant setting (corporate parenting, children’s services or social care), including reviewing and developing services, providing leadership and partnership working.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships and gain commitment from a wide range of stakeholders. Confidence in communicating, influencing and negotiating.
• A successful track record of working collaboratively with partners, stakeholders and young people to develop and deliver services that achieve positive outcomes.
• Strategic thinking, strong planning and organisational skills, with the capability to drive forward deliverables.
• A commitment to continuous professional development and maintenance of a thorough knowledge of current legislation and practice relating to children and young people’s services.

What you need to know

• This position is a 12-month limited-term contract.
• We would ideally wish the successful candidate to commence in post early/mid-September to allow for adequate handover with the incumbent post holder.
• Due to the nature of this role, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for employment.
• Travel widely to various locations within the authority; must have a current driving licence and access to a suitable vehicle insured for business use.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• We offer genuine flexibility to help staff achieve a work/life balance.
• We value staff as individuals, investing in their careers and recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make a lasting difference.
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, ensuring all staff are provided with the skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond to potential abuse or neglect.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work; we welcome applications from everyone and ensure selection, promotion and development are based on merit and ability.

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