Team Manager - Special Guardianship Order and Connected Person Fostering

Permanent, Full Time

£47,405 to £58,727 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

This position is also being offered as a 6 months secondment (please speak to your current manager if you are considering applying)

Provisional interview date: 12th February 2021

Closing date: 5th February 2021

In Essex County Council we are "Serious about Social Work"

We have invested in our workforce and created a positive environment for our social workers to make a difference and achieve change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice. We have supported our staff to have an understanding of systemic theoretical framework and models underpinning our interventions; to have access to the right tools, equipment and resources; and also the right supervision, training and learning opportunities they need to be strong practitioners.

About us

Our Special Guardianship Order (SGO) and Connected Person's Assessment Team help vulnerable children in Essex find long-term permanent care through connected persons carers and special guardians.

You'll will lead our supportive, friendly teams. You'll also be closely involved in the development of our service, strengthening our links with Coram BAAF and national SGO development partners as well as delivering training to other team members, connected carers and special guardians. We also offer many opportunities to develop and broaden your own skill set, too.

The Role

The Team Manager will provide leadership and matrix manage a team of qualified social workers and Senior Practitioners, in order to ensure a high quality professional social work service delivering positive outcomes. The postholder is responsible for managing performance, quality assurance, resources and budgets in collaboration with the Service Manager. They will contribute and support the development of practice, procedures and policy and specifically the professional development of the team they lead; being accountable for the practice of social workers within the team ensuring effective professional and practice supervision, as well as ensuring performance appraisals, take place. They support mentoring and coaching to enhance the quality of practice.

The ideal candidate will have some experience of fostering assessments but what is essential is that applicants have experience of managing and supervising social workers.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Degree in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
• Registration with Social Work England as a registered Social Worker

Previous Experience of:

• Delivery of services in Children's Social Care
• People Management
• Resource planning and management
• Quality assurance and customer care
• Achieving person centred outcomes
• Work with complex statistical, financial and performance information
• Policy development and change management
• Experience of working in a political environment, skills in understanding and responding to different perspectives and taking a cross organisational perspective
• Required to be mobile throughout Essex. To be able to attend meetings or provide cover in other locations. Driving licence and car or access to other effective transport arrangements is essential.
• Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.

As part of employment with Essex County Council should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please use the following link: https://www.workingforessex.com/benefits/

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

If you have any queries regarding this role, or require anything further, please email or call us on 0333 013 5888. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30 - 16.30.