Reunification Manager

Job Introduction

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.  

The starting salary for this position is £56,439 per annum based on working 36 hours per week.

This is a fixed term contract opportunity to cover maternity leave until September 2027.

We are excited to be hiring a Reunification Manager to join our fantastic Countywide Reunification Support Service (part of the Children Looked After Services) based in Woking at our Victoria Gate office.

When not working with our residents in the community, we are keen to support agile working with a combination of home and office working. We are keen to get the balance right of providing flexibility but ensuring you feel connected to your team and the service. 

Our Offer to You

• We pay your Social Worker England Registration fee
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 31 days after 5 years' service (plus bank holidays)
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Refer a friend payment of £1,000 as a thank you for finding the right Social Worker

Our Progress

We are proud of our recent Good Ofsted judgement, which marks a significant milestone for Surrey. The report highlights that “Children in care have trusting and positive relationships with their Social Workers. Social Workers use creative life-story work to help children understand the reasons why they are in care.” And “Staff are well-trained and committed, feel highly valued and are proud to work in Surrey.”

If you are considering your next professional opportunity and looking for an ambitious and highly motivated employer who is continuously striving for better services for children and young people, then our Surrey Children’s Services would love to hear from you.

About the Team

In Surrey, we care that children have long lasting and positive relationships with their birth families. As such, we created the Reunification Support Service in 2022 which sees a small dedicated team of 4 Practitioners work alongside our Children Looked After Services to assess and support children to return home, where safe to do so. The Reunification Support Service became permanent in May 2024 due to the success of its work in reunifying children to their birth families. By joining us as a Reunification Manager, you will have the opportunity to be part of the team’s on-going success.

Surrey County Council is currently going through Local Government Reorganisation with Vesting Day on the 1^st of April 2027.  From that day, the role of the Reunification Manager will adapt to the needs of the new authority by managing a lower number of Reunification Practitioners, alongside Front Line Social Workers working with Looked After Children

Our Children Looked After and Reunification Service

As a Reunification and Looked After Children’s Manager your role will play a crucial part of our ambitious project to support Children Looked After to return to their families when it is safe for them to do so. The role aims to support social workers in the wider local authority to identify children and young people early who may be able to return home, supporting the social work team by creating multi-agency plans of support and intervention to be carried out by Reunification Practitioners to whom you will supervise and review progress.  From April 2027, you will also supervise a small group of social workers working with Looked after Children, ensuring practice is effective and children and young people are supported on their care journeys to permanency and adulthood.  You will have the support, experience and oversight of a Looked After and Care Leavers Service Manager. 

While the role is currently based in Woking, the children being supported within the team may live elsewhere in Surrey or may reside outside of the area. Visits to work with children and families will be held at the best location for the child and their family and therefore you will need a willingness to work flexibly and have the ability to travel to meet the demands of this role.

Supporting You

In Surrey, you will have a sense of belonging within your individual team but also the wider service areas and directorate. You will receive high quality supervision, as there is a firm commitment towards dedicating time that focusses on the work you do with children and families, to enable you to work creatively and holistically with a child centred approach.

You will also be supported in your career development by your management team and our Surrey Children’s Service Academy, which currently has over 60 courses available and offers a bespoke learning programme so you can be at the forefront of best practice, providing you with support and a clear pathway to achieve your future aspirations.

Modules such as motivational interviewing and our total respect course allow you to feel empowered in having essential conversations whilst still ensuring a child centred approach to your practice.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours: 

• Qualified Social Work degree and SWE Registration
• Management/Supervisor Experience 
• A commitment to working with children to improve the quality of their lives
• An understanding of the NSPCC Reunification Framework
• Excellent written and communication skills and ability to use information technology well

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

To apply you will need to upload your CV and answer the following questions (no more than 200 words per question):

1. Please tell us what has motivated you to apply for this role?
2. Please tell us about the key skills and experience you will be able to bring to this role.
3. Please tell us about an example that demonstrates how you have built long lasting relationships with children.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 24th November 2026 with interviews to follow.

We are committed to inclusive recruitment. That's why, if you're invited to a face-to-face interview, we'll share the themes of the questions with you in advance. This way, you can prepare and feel comfortable knowing what topics will be covered during the process, allowing you to focus and confidently discuss your valuable skills and experiences.

Contact Us 

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Elaine Andrews by e-mail.

Local Government Organisation (LGR) 

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is West Surrey Council subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council. 

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.  

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.