Service Manager - Fostering and Kinship Care

Bradford Children and Families Trust were established in April 2023 to enhance the quality and delivery of Children’s Services across our district. Foster for Bradford operate as an Independent Fostering Agency under Bradford Children and Families Trust. In our most recent inspection, in September 2025, we were graded as GOOD in all areas – recognised for the highly supportive, positive culture experienced by both Foster Carers and Staff within the service.

Our purpose is clear, to ensure that our promise to improve the lives of children and young people in Bradford becomes a reality. It’s a tough ask. It requires dedication, determination, and resilience. So, if you’re up for the challenge we’d love to hear from you!

We are recruiting for an innovative and aspirational Fostering and Kinship Service Manager. Someone who is dedicated, creative, highly professional, and caring, with the passion to provide exceptional support and care to foster carers and kinship carers to ensure that they are able to care for children to the best of their ability. Children’s Social Care is changing, developing, and improving and we are investing, and developing our fostering, kinship and SGO support offer.

The role is currently responsible for the recruitment, assessment and approval of carers, including the oversight of Fostering Panel and the kinship assessment team. This is a really exciting time at Foster for Bradford, as we are in the process of developing a post kinship order support team to ensure that the local offer to kinship carers meets the specific challenges that they face in caring for their kin.

• At least 2 years management experience, including experience of leading and supervising a staff team
• Experience of working with Foster Carers and/or Kinship Carers.
• Experience of Ofsted inspections and an understanding of Fostering Regulations.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and manage a heavy workload from a variety of sources while maintaining a high standard of quality and working under time constraints.
• Able to manage successful service delivery in complex partnerships and an ability to build and manage relationships effectively and to bring people together to optimise partnership working.
• Practical understanding of managing attendance and capability issues with the ability to exercise strong leadership skills and experience of investigating complaints/requests and demonstrate a high level of initiative, strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Must have recent substantial relevant statutory experience of managing regulated resources for children and young people, particularly children’s homes and short break provisions.
• A passion to improve the lives of children and young people in care through the recruitment and approval of foster carers able to provide them with the love and care they deserve.
• A knowledge of the challenges faced by kinship carers and a willingness to go the extra mile to ensure that they are supported to care for their kin.
• A social work qualification

• 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
• we are a National Living Wage employer

Closing Date: 25th October 2026 Interview Date: 6th November 2026

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. An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including a check against the Children’s barred list, will be carried out on preferred candidates.