Programme Manager - Grade L *MR

Overview

Family Homes for Plymouth Children Programme Manager, Plymouth City Council, is seeking a change maker to deliver one of our flagship changes in Children’s Services. Family Homes for Plymouth Children pulls together multiple work streams to support children and families in Plymouth who are in crisis or may require residential care. We are redesigning how the system supports families through this process.

Our priorities are: to keep children safe and in their families; profile children in residential care and match them to foster families; support foster carers with specialist needs; and build our own care homes in the city to keep children near their families and support networks. In the current financial year we aim to save around £8m through changing how we operate to meet these goals.

We need a catalyst to pull the components of this change together and help operate the business to maximise benefits to children and families, as well as to the Council’s budget.

• Lead and coordinate the Family Homes for Plymouth change programme, ensuring delivery of stated outcomes within the current financial year.
• Work with Service Directors, Strategic Directors and Councillors to secure buy-in and ensure professionals respect the programme and its aims.
• Design and implement changes to the system to support children and families, including those in residential care and foster care pathways.
• Profile and match children in residential care to suitable foster families; support foster carers with resources to meet specialist needs.
• Collaborate across teams to explore options for city-based care homes to keep children near their family networks.
• Monitor progress, report on benefits to children and families and to the Council’s budget, and adjust plans as needed.

• Experience in Children’s Services and programme management or equivalent change-management roles.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale change in complex organisations and to engage senior stakeholders (Service Directors, Strategic Directors and Councillors).
• Strong collaboration and communication skills with the ability to influence and coordinate across multiple work streams.
• Ability to design practical system changes that improve outcomes for children and families and demonstrate impact against objectives.
• Experience in risk management, governance, and reporting on programme benefits.

The role is being advertised as a short-term contract to ensure the role is covered as soon as possible. The Council will look to recruit to permanent positions to take on these responsibilities during the current financial year. For questions about the role, please contact pet