Purpose of Job: Fostering Hub Programme Manager

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is the lead borough for the development and delivery of a SouthEast London Fostering Hub service on behalf of multiple local authorities in South-East London. Please note that the partners are currently subject to confirmation so will be shared once local authorities confirm their express commitment to the new partnership.

The five boroughs care for 20% of London’s looked after population. Foster carers provide essential, loving, and stable homes for many of these children however, the fostering system is under significant strain, with national declines in approved carers. The Government's Renewing Fostering policy has set a target to create 10,000 new foster places by April 2029 and has called for enhanced regional collaboration.

South-East London is embarking on an ambitious programme to develop an end-to-end subregional foster carer recruitment pathway. Local Authorities identified above have agreed to pool their resources and, with the support of a Department for Education Grant, establish a South-East London Fostering Hub which delivers a comprehensive, resilient, relationship-driven pathway where prospective carers are approved quickly, supported deeply, and children are provided with local, stable and loving homes.

The Programme Manager will be responsible to the Innovation and Improvement Lead and Head of South-East London Fostering Hub for:

The Programme Manager will lead and coordinate the development and implementation of the South-East London Fostering Hub.

This will include:

• Establishing a multi-authority foster recruitment support service team and offer
• Establishing digital foster carer interfaces, case management systems and team performance reporting
• Developing a sub-regional foster carer recruitment communications campaign
• Developing a foster carer retention-focused training and support programme

The PM will be responsible for developing the ways of working in partnership with senior leaders and Heads of Service across five authorities and then continue to track the impact of the hub until the end of September 2027. They will work with all participating authorities to ensure the distinct but complementary assets of each authority inform the delivery of the South-East London Hub. Further, they will engage with other London Fostering Hubs, pan-London initiatives and sector stakeholders to ensure Hub model delivery is informed by and influences national reform and best practice and aligns with broader London foster carer recruitment and retention initiatives.

The primary aim of the South-East London Fostering Hub is to increase the number and diversity of participating boroughs’ approved foster carers to meet the needs of children in care thereby increasing the proportion of children cared for in local, stable, family settings.

To deliver this aim, the objectives of the South-East London Fostering Hub will be to deliver the following on behalf of each participating authority:

• Improve the foster carer journey from enquiry to application and approval
• Increase foster carer enquiries
• Increase enquiry to application conversion rates
• Reduce application withdrawals
• Increase foster carer approvals
• Increase foster carer retention

There will be a regional focus on communications, building on what we know works in foster care recruitment. Adverts will direct prospective foster carers to the recruitment support hub. A critical part of the role will be to work across the various authorities and other Fostering Hubs in London to help develop a new brand that is aligned, as far as possible, across London whilst maintaining a strong brand and identity for individual local authorities.

Main Duties Fostering Hub Programme Manager

• To facilitate and manage the programme initiation, developing a clear project management plan that includes outcomes, project roles and responsibilities and key milestones.
• To ensure appropriate programme governance is established with working groups set up where required.
• To manage multiple concurrent workstreams and/or projects within the programme structure
• To monitor and report progress of the programme against the project plan to the governance board
• To identify and assign project tasks based on the skill sets, experience and strengths of different staff across the cluster
• To manage stakeholders across the cluster, maintaining effective working relationships with external organisations and partner agencies to successfully develop a recruitment hub,
• To engage with legal, HR, and commercial teams across the cluster to deliver key elements of the implementation plan
• To identify, record and escalate programme issues/risks and develop solutions to mitigate the issues or risks as required
• To lead on the co-ordination of submissions to the Department of Education, working with the programme team to ensure required information and data are submitted on time
• To engage with the programme’s delivery partner to support the development and implementation of the hub.
• To line manage/matrix manage the wider programme implementation team 12) Statutory requirements:

Knowledge Fostering Hub Programme Manager

Understanding of the role of local authorities and their complexities and how to lead transformational change that benefits children, young people, families through the delivery of effective service.

An ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of delivering major projects and programmes

Strong understanding of delivering a programme or project in partnership with stakeholders

Demonstrate knowledge of delivering projects by both traditional and agile methods

Degree level or equivalent workplace experience.

Prince2 Project Management Practitioner or Managing Successful

Programmes or other industry qualification