Assistant Team Manager Fostering

Salary: £47,665 - £49,817 pro rata

Hours per week: 22.2 hours

Temporary/Fixed term: Contract ends March 2027

Interview date: 24 October 2026

Fostering Southwest is a regional partnership bringing local authorities together to strengthen foster carer recruitment and create the best possible fostering experiences for children, young people and families.

We’re looking for an experienced and passionate Social Worker to join the Fostering Southwest team as an Assistant Team Manager. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in our fostering service, supporting the timely progression of fostering enquiries, assessments and home-finding for children who need foster care.

You’ll manage and support a team of Fostering Hub Recruitment Support Workers, providing strong professional leadership and oversight to ensure children, young people and families receive a high-quality, person-centred and outcome-focused service. You’ll help maintain high standards of practice, support effective decision-making and ensure that prospective foster carers receive a responsive and positive experience as they progress through their fostering journey.

We’re looking for someone with significant experience in Children’s Services, ideally within fostering or a related area. You’ll bring experience of complex assessments and safeguarding, alongside strong leadership skills and a commitment to your own professional development and that of the team around you.

If you’re passionate about fostering and want to be part of an ambitious regional service focused on making a real difference for children, families and foster carers, we’d love to hear from you.

Why us?

Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. Find out more about Our Identity, staff networks, and employee benefits here.

Our hybrid working model means office staff are on site for at least half their hours, community-based staff carry out at least half their admin time in a workplace, and customer‑facing roles work entirely from their service location.

We are committed to creating a workplace where positive relationships thrive and everyone feels engaged, supported and able to do their best. We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying or harassment. Everyone is expected to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, trust and respect, guided by our vision and Our Identity.

Contact details

Ian Jarman, Team Manager Regional Fostering Recruitment & Retention at Ian.Jarman@wiltshire.gov.uk

Please ensure to regularly check your spam or junk folder for any communication from us regarding the status of your application.

Application criteria

Please download and read the role description and person specification carefully before you apply.

We understand that AI tools can support you in preparing job applications. However, we value authenticity and would encourage you to ensure your submission genuinely reflects your own experiences, skills, and motivations.

While we welcome applications from job seekers who require skilled worker sponsorship, we are not able to issue a defined certificate of sponsorship due to limitations in our sponsorship capacity.

If you have applied for this role within the last six months, you do not need to reapply. Your application will remain on file and will be considered.

We are firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and to the principles of inclusion and diversity in both employment and the delivery of services.

Statement of commitment to equality and inclusion

Disability Confident Employer

Application process

Wiltshire Council does not accept unsolicited CVs or candidate details from recruitment agencies that are not appointed under a current, valid contract or approved supplier arrangement (including through our neutral vendor, Comensura).

Submission of unsolicited CVs or candidate details to the Council, whether directly or to individual employees, will not be considered as an introduction and will not create any obligation on the Council to pay any fees. If a candidate whose details have been submitted speculatively is subsequently appointed through a compliant route, no agency fee will be payable in respect of the unsolicited submission.

Agencies wishing to work with the Council must do so only via our approved procurement processes and neutral vendor arrangements.