Service Manager - Children we Care for and Leaving care


Company:	Oxfordshire County Council
Salary:	£70,392 to £73,936 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Abingdon, OX14 3RG
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	18 Sept 2026
Closing date:	15 Oct 2026

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Summary

About the Role

This is not just another senior management role. This is an opportunity to shape the lives of some of Oxfordshire's most vulnerable children and young people.

As Service Manager for Children We Care For and Leaving Care, you will provide strategic leadership across a large and complex service area, overseeing teams that support children in care, care leavers and unaccompanied children and young people. You will lead experienced managers and practitioners, ensuring that services deliver outstanding outcomes while operating effectively, efficiently and in line with statutory requirements.

You'll be responsible for driving service improvement, managing significant budgets and resources, and ensuring that children and young people receive consistently high-quality support. Working closely with partners across health, education, the voluntary sector and the wider council, you'll help shape services that give children stability, opportunity and the best possible start in adult life.

This role requires someone who can confidently balance strategic thinking with operational leadership. You'll influence policy, contribute to wider directorate priorities and play a key role in strengthening Oxfordshire's approach to corporate parenting.

Most importantly, you'll lead a service where every decision matters because every decision has the potential to improve a child's future.

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