Job Introduction

Service Manager, Placement Co-ordination, Salary: Grade Special C, SCPs 1-5 

Permanent, Hours: 37 hours per week, Based at Sir Henry Mitchell House, Bradford.

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.

About the Role

We are recruiting for an innovative and aspirational Service Manager for our Placement Co-ordination team. Someone who is dedicated, creative, highly professional and caring, with the passion to work with social work teams, commissioning colleagues and both internal and external providers to identify loving stable, local homes that our children in care will thrive in.

Children's Social Care is changing, developing, and improving and we are investing, and developing our internal and external sufficiency to ensure that it meets the needs of our children.

Our strategic vision and values

Our approach is rooted in restorative and relational practice, fostering trust, mutual respect, and meaningful relationships with children, families, and professionals.

You’ll also:

• Lead the services work in directly responding to placement requests in making suitable placements that support children and young people to achieve stability in their lives. This will include working with strategic and operational colleagues in BCFT and partner agencies to ensure a range of placement options which offer value for money which are compliant with all statutory guidelines, legal commissioning and procurement requirements.
• Work closely with the Children’s Commissioning Team to ensure that provision used is commissioned and purchased in an appropriate way and that commissioned services are supported and accountable in delivering high quality care.
• Contribute to and support the delivery of the Placement and Sufficiency Strategy including identifying resources, partnerships and funding in partnership with commissioning colleagues.

To be successful in this role you will need: 

• A qualification in Social Work or substantial experience in a field closely associated with managing the needs of children in care likely to be experiencing or be at risk of breakdown in their living arrangement and/or a relevant qualification in commissioning or procurement or a management qualification.
• At least two years’ management experience of managing and supervising staff at team manager or above level.
• Experience of providing inspirational leadership and management and getting a team to achieve excellence with a high level of interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of working through a commissioning cycle and the associated legislative requirements.
• Experience of using performance management and quality assurance systems in the workplace to achieve high performance in the workplace.
• Experience of improving the lives of our most vulnerable children and young people.
• Demonstrate an ability to make difficult decisions, to be held accountable, and be comfortable managing targets and outputs.
• A very good demonstrable knowledge and understanding of sufficiency planning.
• A good demonstrable knowledge and understanding of strategic, operational and tactical work and the difference between them.
• Ability to develop and implement performance and improvement systems, models and methods and to maintain and manage robust data and information

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

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 Emma Naylor at Emma.Naylor@bradfordcft.org.uk or Cairine Doyle – Morrill at Cairine.Morrill@Bradfordcft.org.uk

Closing Date: 04.02.26

Interviews: 13.02.26

Apply