All about the Role

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with disabilities and their families? Do you have the leadership skills to support social care practitioners to do excellent practice whilst driving service improvement and innovation?

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Team Manager to join our 0-18 Children with Disabilities Service. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dedicated team supporting children and young people with complex disabilities, additional needs and health conditions.

As Team Manager, you will provide operational leadership and oversight of statutory social work interventions, ensuring that children receive high-quality, timely and effective support. You will supervise and develop social workers and family/child support practitioners, drive performance and quality assurance, and contribute to the strategic development of disability services across the city.

You will:

· Lead and inspire a team delivering services to children and young people with disabilities from birth to 18.

· Ensure robust safeguarding practice and compliance with statutory duties and legislation.

· Provide high-quality supervision, coaching and professional challenge.

· Oversee complex assessments, child in need planning, child protection processes, looked after children arrangements and short breaks.

· Work collaboratively with families to understand their strengths, aspirations and support needs.

· Develop strong partnerships with health, education, commissioning and community organisations.

· Use data, audits and performance information to drive continuous improvement.

· Support service development and contribute to strategic planning across Children's Services.

This role offers the opportunity to shape services, influence practice and make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and their families.

All about our Team

Our 0-18 Children with Disabilities Service is committed to helping children and young people with disabilities achieve the best possible outcomes and preparing them for successful adult lives.

We are a friendly, supportive and ambitious service that values relationships, professional curiosity and restorative practice. We work alongside children, young people and families to understand what matters to them and to build on their strengths.

The team works closely with partners across health, SEND, commissioning, short breaks, continuing care and adult social care to provide coordinated support. We are part of a wider service committed to innovation, inclusion and improving the experiences of children and families.

We invest in our staff through:

· Regular reflective supervision.

· Opportunities for career progression.

· Access to learning and development programmes.

· Supportive management and leadership.

· Flexible working arrangements.

· A strong focus on wellbeing and psychological safety.

Our goal is simple: to ensure children and young people with disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers and are supported to thrive within their families and communities.

All about You

You will be a qualified and registered Social Worker with substantial experience of working with children and young people with disabilities and their families.

You will bring:

· Experience of managing or supervising social work practitioners.

· Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Children Act 1989, Children and Families Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act, Chronically Sick and Disabled Person's Act, SEND legislation, safeguarding procedures and transition arrangements.

· Experience of leading complex safeguarding and risk management decisions.

· A commitment to relational, child-centred and strengths-based practice.

· Excellent communication and partnership-working skills.

· Confidence in performance management, quality assurance and service improvement.

· The ability to support staff through challenge, change and professional development.

Most importantly, you will be a compassionate and collaborative leader who shares our ambition for children and young people with disabilities and who is committed to helping families achieve the outcomes that matter to them.

If you are passionate about leadership, social work excellence and improving the lives of children and young people with disabilities, we would love to hear from you.

If you have any additional questions about the role please do contact anita.hewson@peterborough.gov.uk

Provisional interview date 13th October 2026

Our Benefits 

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme… 

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes 
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)  
• Access to car lease scheme 
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances 
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings 
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth 
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day 
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network 
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards 

Our Commitments 

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success. 

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.