Team Manager | Fostering Assessment Team

| Salary £53,051-£57,447, Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week |

International Sponsorship: This role is not open to international sponsorship

Lead Outstanding Practice. Inspire Positive Change.

Are you an experienced and motivating social worker ready to take the next step in your career?

Lancashire County Council is seeking a passionate and ambitious Team Manager to lead one of our successful Fostering Assessment Teams in Lancashire. This is an exciting opportunity to join a service that is committed to strengths-based practice, relational social work, and delivering outstanding outcomes for children and families.

As Team Manager, you will lead a dedicated team within our innovative Fostering Assessment Service, creating the conditions for excellent practice, strong professional development, and finding the right homes for children in our care through fostering assessments. The work will predominantly focus on assessments of Kinship arrangements, but could include oversight for fostering assessments with prospective or existing mainstream foster carer.

About the Role

You will play a pivotal leadership role, providing direction, support, and challenge to a team of skilled practitioners while ensuring children remain at the centre of everything we do.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing Fostering Assessment Team.
• Promoting high-quality, strengths-based fostering assessments.
• Supporting applicants through assessment to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families.
• Creating a positive, reflective, and learning-focused team culture.
• Driving practice excellence through coaching, supervision, and professional development.
• Working collaboratively with partners to safeguard children and ensure we find the right homes for children at the right time.
• Ensuring effective performance management and service delivery.

Why Join Lancashire?

You'll be joining an established Fostering Service in Lancashire where senior leaders are committed to investing in staff, supporting professional growth, and enabling excellent social work practice.

As the fourth largest local authority in England and the largest in the North, Lancashire County Council serves over 1.2 million residents and delivers innovative services that make a real difference to people's lives.

We understand that exceptional outcomes for children are achieved when practitioners feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best work. That's why we have created a positive culture where staff wellbeing, learning, and development are prioritised.

What We Offer

A Strong Learning Culture

Our renowned Social Work Academy was one of the first established by a local authority and continues to be a cornerstone of our commitment to professional development.

Benefits include:

• Comprehensive induction programmes for new starters.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• Support from experienced Advanced Practitioners.
• Access to the latest research and evidence-informed practice.
• Continuous opportunities to enhance leadership and management skills.

Career Development

As a large and progressive local authority, we offer:

• Excellent progression opportunities.
• Access to specialist training and qualifications.
• Leadership development programmes.
• Opportunities to influence and shape service delivery.

Flexible and Supportive Working

We are committed to helping our staff thrive by providing:

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Equipment to work effectively from home.
• Strong management support.
• A focus on staff wellbeing.
• Practitioner forums and professional networks to collaborate and share best practice.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking an experienced social work leader who:

• Is passionate about improving outcomes for children and families.
• Has experience of working with children and families, and ideally an insight or experience in working in fostering
• Demonstrates strong leadership and management capability.
• Can inspire, develop, and motivate teams.
• Is committed to strengths-based and relationship-focused practice.
• Has the ability to drive high standards and support continuous improvement.

Find Out More

If you would like an informal discussion about this opportunity or a career with Lancashire Children's Services, please contact: Annie Clarkson Ann-Louise.Clarkson@lancashire.gov.uk

Additional Information

• If you are already a Lancashire County Council employee, please apply via the Internal Vacancies section on Oracle Fusion.
• This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, as amended.
• Social Work applicants must be registered with Social Work England (SWE) to be appointed as a Social Worker or have applied to register with SWE. For this role you are unable to commence post without Registration.
• Lancashire County Council offers an excellent range of employee benefits available on the LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received.

Join Lancashire Children's Services and lead a team that is making a real difference every day.

Apply now and help shape brighter futures for children and families across Lancashire.

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.

Job Description and Person Specification