Join us in Making a Difference Service Manager - Fostering and Adoption - Children's Social Care Are you passionate about driving excellence in children's social care? Do you want to be part of a bold and ambitious journey to transform services for children and families? If so, we invite you to bring your expertise and leadership to the Isle of Wight. About Us - A Service on the Rise We are 2 years into building a new Children's Services on the Isle of Wight, following the conclusion of our 10-year partnership with Hampshire County Council. Since then, we've made significant progress , recognised through: Ofsted focused visits (October 2024) Peer reviews Support and recognition from the Local Government Association We've introduced a new IOW MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) and a Referral & Intervention Service, creating space for Social Workers to deliver timely interventions and achieve long-lasting change for families. Support & Protection Teams have been redesigned Our service has been restructured with a strong focus on: Reduced caseloads for better work-life balance. High level of management support & oversight Reflective supervision to support your professional growth. Comprehensive training to help you thrive. Innovative Leadership: Our newly appointed Principal Social Worker is driving system improvements and implementing the Family First programme, ensuring families are at the heart of everything we do. Collaborative Culture: We believe in "Creating Change Together" - with regular all-staff briefings and an ethos of teamwork and shared learning Our new senior leadership team is committed to creating a connected, child-centred directorate , where Children's Social Care works hand-in-hand with Education, Inclusion, and Access services to improve outcomes for every child. About the Role We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to drive the strategic and operational delivery of our fostering and adoption services. This pivotal role ensures the highest standards of care, compliance, and safeguarding for children and families, while leading continuous improvement and transformation. It is an exciting time for fostering and adoption on the Island, with innovative marketing and recruitment campaigns in the pipeline to attract and retain the best carers for our children. You will provide professional leadership, manage regulated services, and work in partnership with Adopt South to achieve timely permanence outcomes. If you are passionate about making a real difference and have the vision to lead recruitment, retention, and quality assurance strategies, this is an opportunity to shape the future of fostering and adoption in our community. You'll manage: The Fostering and Adoption Team This is a crucial role for someone with a strong background in children's social care, expert knowledge of Fostering and Adoption legislation and a deep commitment to improving lives of families. This is a two year contract. Why Join Us? Our Vision: Creating Change Together Our Practice Model: Relational Strengths-Based Solution-Focused Restorative Our Culture: Inclusive, supportive, and ambitious We believe that our staff thrive when they are valued, supported, and empowered . That's why we invest in the right tools, conditions, and professional development to help you be your best. The Isle of Wight - A Great Place to Work and Live Whether you're relocating or already local, the Island offers a unique lifestyle -stunning natural beauty, a strong sense of community, and a real opportunity to make a difference in a place where your work truly matters. Ready to Lead Change? If you're a Qualified and Experienced Social Worker registered with Social Work England , and ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, we'd love to hear from you. Be part of something special. Join us in shaping the future of children's services on the Isle of Wight. We embody this model in all our relationships. We embrace an inclusive culture and will support you in your role and challenge you to be your best. Join us in making a real difference in the lives of children on the Isle of Wight! For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Kay Jones at Join and you'll receive our staff benefits package, including: Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays! Local Government pension scheme Discounted Solent ferry travel Island bus network discount Cycle to work scheme Staff parking permit scheme Discounted island sports & leisure gym membership National and local discounts & benefits schemes Relocation scheme of up to £8,000 may be available for some roles (subject to criteria) Travel allowance may be available if commuting from the mainland (subject to criteria)
Jan 10, 2026
Full time
Join us in Making a Difference Service Manager - Fostering and Adoption - Children's Social Care Are you passionate about driving excellence in children's social care? Do you want to be part of a bold and ambitious journey to transform services for children and families? If so, we invite you to bring your expertise and leadership to the Isle of Wight. About Us - A Service on the Rise We are 2 years into building a new Children's Services on the Isle of Wight, following the conclusion of our 10-year partnership with Hampshire County Council. Since then, we've made significant progress , recognised through: Ofsted focused visits (October 2024) Peer reviews Support and recognition from the Local Government Association We've introduced a new IOW MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) and a Referral & Intervention Service, creating space for Social Workers to deliver timely interventions and achieve long-lasting change for families. Support & Protection Teams have been redesigned Our service has been restructured with a strong focus on: Reduced caseloads for better work-life balance. High level of management support & oversight Reflective supervision to support your professional growth. Comprehensive training to help you thrive. Innovative Leadership: Our newly appointed Principal Social Worker is driving system improvements and implementing the Family First programme, ensuring families are at the heart of everything we do. Collaborative Culture: We believe in "Creating Change Together" - with regular all-staff briefings and an ethos of teamwork and shared learning Our new senior leadership team is committed to creating a connected, child-centred directorate , where Children's Social Care works hand-in-hand with Education, Inclusion, and Access services to improve outcomes for every child. About the Role We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to drive the strategic and operational delivery of our fostering and adoption services. This pivotal role ensures the highest standards of care, compliance, and safeguarding for children and families, while leading continuous improvement and transformation. It is an exciting time for fostering and adoption on the Island, with innovative marketing and recruitment campaigns in the pipeline to attract and retain the best carers for our children. You will provide professional leadership, manage regulated services, and work in partnership with Adopt South to achieve timely permanence outcomes. If you are passionate about making a real difference and have the vision to lead recruitment, retention, and quality assurance strategies, this is an opportunity to shape the future of fostering and adoption in our community. You'll manage: The Fostering and Adoption Team This is a crucial role for someone with a strong background in children's social care, expert knowledge of Fostering and Adoption legislation and a deep commitment to improving lives of families. This is a two year contract. Why Join Us? Our Vision: Creating Change Together Our Practice Model: Relational Strengths-Based Solution-Focused Restorative Our Culture: Inclusive, supportive, and ambitious We believe that our staff thrive when they are valued, supported, and empowered . That's why we invest in the right tools, conditions, and professional development to help you be your best. The Isle of Wight - A Great Place to Work and Live Whether you're relocating or already local, the Island offers a unique lifestyle -stunning natural beauty, a strong sense of community, and a real opportunity to make a difference in a place where your work truly matters. Ready to Lead Change? If you're a Qualified and Experienced Social Worker registered with Social Work England , and ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, we'd love to hear from you. Be part of something special. Join us in shaping the future of children's services on the Isle of Wight. We embody this model in all our relationships. We embrace an inclusive culture and will support you in your role and challenge you to be your best. Join us in making a real difference in the lives of children on the Isle of Wight! For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Kay Jones at Join and you'll receive our staff benefits package, including: Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays! Local Government pension scheme Discounted Solent ferry travel Island bus network discount Cycle to work scheme Staff parking permit scheme Discounted island sports & leisure gym membership National and local discounts & benefits schemes Relocation scheme of up to £8,000 may be available for some roles (subject to criteria) Travel allowance may be available if commuting from the mainland (subject to criteria)
Your vision. Our community. At the Isle of Wight Council, we're passionate about creating thriving communities, protecting our unique environment, and driving sustainable growth. As a forward-thinking local authority, we put people first and champion innovation, collaboration, and excellence in everything we do. We are now seeking a Strategic Director of Community Services to shape the future of our communities. Are you ready to join our team and lead with vision and purpose? This is a rare opportunity to inspire change, champion sustainability and make a lasting impact on the lives of thousands This is your chance to lead at a level where it truly matters. As a key member of our corporate leadership team, you will: Lead a diverse portfolio including regeneration, economic development, environment, planning, highways, waste, commercial services, cultural heritage, leisure, coastal and public realm. Drive transformation and innovation , embedding customer-centric principles and delivering services that make a real difference to residents. Act as an ambassador for the Island , representing us at regional and national forums and building strategic partnerships that unlock growth and opportunity. Shape the Council's vision , translating political priorities into actionable strategies that deliver best value and measurable outcomes. As our Strategic Director of Community Services, you'll drive regeneration, transformation and economic growth, shape sustainable planning and environmental strategies, modernise services and oversee vital work that touches every part of island life, making a lasting impact for generations to come. To truly embrace this role, you'll need to be an exceptional leader, with superb communication skills, able to engage, inspire and influence as you build on relationships with our workforce, the public, media and partnership organisations If you have the drive, resilience, and strategic vision to lead one of the most diverse and impactful portfolios in local government, we want to hear from you.
Jan 01, 2026
Full time
Your vision. Our community. At the Isle of Wight Council, we're passionate about creating thriving communities, protecting our unique environment, and driving sustainable growth. As a forward-thinking local authority, we put people first and champion innovation, collaboration, and excellence in everything we do. We are now seeking a Strategic Director of Community Services to shape the future of our communities. Are you ready to join our team and lead with vision and purpose? This is a rare opportunity to inspire change, champion sustainability and make a lasting impact on the lives of thousands This is your chance to lead at a level where it truly matters. As a key member of our corporate leadership team, you will: Lead a diverse portfolio including regeneration, economic development, environment, planning, highways, waste, commercial services, cultural heritage, leisure, coastal and public realm. Drive transformation and innovation , embedding customer-centric principles and delivering services that make a real difference to residents. Act as an ambassador for the Island , representing us at regional and national forums and building strategic partnerships that unlock growth and opportunity. Shape the Council's vision , translating political priorities into actionable strategies that deliver best value and measurable outcomes. As our Strategic Director of Community Services, you'll drive regeneration, transformation and economic growth, shape sustainable planning and environmental strategies, modernise services and oversee vital work that touches every part of island life, making a lasting impact for generations to come. To truly embrace this role, you'll need to be an exceptional leader, with superb communication skills, able to engage, inspire and influence as you build on relationships with our workforce, the public, media and partnership organisations If you have the drive, resilience, and strategic vision to lead one of the most diverse and impactful portfolios in local government, we want to hear from you.
