Service Manager – Stable Loving Homes Brighter Futures for Children Full time, permanent post Salary: £60,146 - £65,941 per annum About us Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service. We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Offending Service and traded services with schools. Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives. About the role You will support the delivery of improved outcomes for children looked after by increasing the choice of homes in Reading. You will be the strategic and operational lead for the management and development of children’s homes in line with the Placement Sufficiency Strategy and statutory regulations set out in children's Homes Regulations 2015 and Quality Standards. As part of the Children’s Services Senior Management Team, you will share responsibility for driving and implementing the strategic and operational vision of both Brighter Futures for Children and the Council and for successfully managing the cultural change required to achieve excellent service delivery. You will be responsible for delivering statutory services as required for children’s homes at Brighter Futures for Children. This includes: • Cressingham and Pinecroft Short Breaks • 3 x Children’s Residential Care Homes Your duties will involve working closely with court timetables and undertaking viability assessments. You will contribute to collective leadership of the Company working collaboratively with members, services across the Company and council, partners and stakeholders to deliver Company’s priorities. Model and embed the Company's values and behaviours, helping to achieve our commitment to be an outstanding children’s services delivering great value for its residents and businesses. For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification. Our offer We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment. A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including: • Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution • Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service) • Discounted Child Care (on site nursery) • Cycle to work scheme. • Season train ticket loans • Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme • A range of local shopping discounts Inclusion and Diversity We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do. Asking for Adjustments Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know. Closing date: 4 May 2025 Interview date: To be confirmed We look forward to hearing from you