Could you be our Children's Services Manager?
We have a fantastic opportunity for a new manager within our Children's Service at our brand new Sense Hub in Belfast.
This is a permanent role, working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. We are offering a Children's Services Manager in Belfast £31,797 per annum, subject to review/increase from 1st April.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual to join the management team in our Early Intervention and Children's service.
Opening its doors in 2025, the new Sense Hub Belfast will increase the support Sense can provide by 50% and offer new spaces for the community to engage with the organisation. In addition to expanding existing services, the Hub will enable Sense to provide new, vital services with a proven successful track record. These include:
- A day service for disabled adults, offering a range of regular activities where people can get support, try new things, and make new connections.
- An early intervention service for children with disabilities 0-8 years old that enhances existing support for deafblind children.
- Arts, Sports and Wellbeing programmes in partnership with local providers.
- A transition and employment service that will support disabled people as they move into adulthood.
The new Sense Hub Belfast will ensure that the 52,000 people across Northern Ireland with a complex disability have somewhere they can enjoy now and in the future. Support for the disabled community cannot wait any longer and we hope you can join us in transforming the lives of those who need help most. Any contribution can help make the dream of a more inclusive and accessible community for disabled people more of a reality.
As a Children's Services Manager, you will be managing a staff team of Support Workers.
The team at the service encourage that no child is left out of life.
Your required skills and experiences:- A minimum of 2 years experience working with children 0-8 with special needs.
- Effective communication with stakeholders, commissioners, and users alike is essential.
- QCF Level 5 Diploma in Child Care, Learning and Development or Playwork or a relevant occupational qualification in early years’ education, social work, nursing, teaching or health visiting.
- 2 years experience supervising and leading a staff team is desirable.
- A full UK Driving License and use of your own vehicle.
- Some knowledge of BSL and Makaton is desirable.
- Register as registered manager with Early Years
- Full person specification is attached below.
Your duties can include:- To support children within the service and community to reach their full potential.
- Providing line management support to a team of staff.
- Rota and annual leave management.
- To provide a customised, responsive, and high-quality service to children with a range of complex needs.
- Identify needs and outcomes for each individual we support.
- Deliver services that meet or exceed Sense’s legal and organisational standards.
- Full job specification is attached below.
Why work for Sense?For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Sense are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer.
Working at Sense can be incredibly rewarding; we offer the opportunity to work in a large, diverse and successful charity where people can develop their skills, knowledge and careers in a supportive and flexible environment. In addition, we have excellent training and development, the opportunity for you to join our Group Personal Pension scheme and a generous annual leave entitlement.
Benefits:- 24 days’ holiday + bank holidays; increasing with length of service
- Free Access NI Check
- Free access to over 100 online and face to face training
- On-going development opportunities
- Flexible working and family friendly policies
- Employee referral scheme
- Health and well-being support
- Pension Scheme
- Discount scheme
- Headspace App- free access for all employees to mindfulness application
Ready to make a difference?To apply:Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your supporting statement to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly. We would recommend that you read the candidate guidelines, job description and person specification (found at the base of this advert) before applying.
Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time.
No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable.
If you require any further assistance, please contact the Recruitment Team on or
Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to an enhanced DBS check.
For this role we particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities. Sense is committed to equality of opportunity, and to promoting and celebrating the diversity of staff, volunteers and the people we work with. Everyone's contribution is valued and we ensure they're given the opportunity to realise their potential. We welcome applications from talented people from all sections of the community who share our values and belief that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. For more information please visit: https://www.sense.org.uk/jobs/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-recruitment/