Team Manager – Children’s - Grade K

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE JOB DESCRIPTION Post: Team Manager Post Number: Various Gauge Reference: A845 Team: Applies to all Team Managers in Children’s Social Care Location: Various Grade: L Responsible to: Service Manager Responsible for: Qualified and unqualified team members JOB PURPOSE To manage, develop and lead a social work team in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable children, young people and their families by delivering high quality services that address need and lead to improved outcomes, whilst managing the reputation of the Service and the Council. To ensure that the Service responds to new challenges, priorities and requirements whist maintaining the Council’s statutory obligations and using resources in the most effective manner. Responsible for driving forward practice development, ensuring any changes are implemented into operational service improvement plans and actual service delivery is measured against the plan. MAIN DUTIES Practice

1. Ensure the Council meets its statutory obligations to safeguard children, complying with legislation, policy and procedures and relevant frameworks.
2. Work within safeguarding frameworks to investigate and manage risk where children and young people have experienced or are likely to experience significant harm.
3. Be responsible for the operational service delivery of the social work team.
4. Ensure that all relevant information is gathered to inform risk assessments and critically analysed to inform the plan. Page 2 of 7
5. Ensure that all work with children, young people and families decision making is robust by providing challenge and critical reflection with detailed analysis informing professional judgements.
6. Demonstrate a critical knowledge of the range of theories and models for social work intervention with individuals, families, groups and communities, and the methods derived from them.
7. Using Performance data and findings from audits and feedback from families and other professionals including complaints and compliments to continuously improve practice
8. Provide critical reflection, challenge and evidence informed decision making in complex situations. Provide professional supervision within Service area, modelling good practice and reflective supervision skills.
9. Apply the principles of the applicable Working Together (currently 2023) Framework to promote best outcomes for children, young people and families. 10.Work collaboratively with internal and external colleagues to co-ordinate service delivery. To chair/contribute to multi agency and Service meetings. 11.Actively engage in risk management policies, procedures and practice and to advise Senior Managers of resource shortfalls and recommend improved methods of working where appropriate. 12.Model effective communication skills appropriate to role and communicate effectively in highly charged or challenging circumstances. 13.Respond to the needs of children, young people and families, whilst meeting statutory responsibilities and ensuring views and wishes are heard and recorded accurately. 14.Encourage and ensure that children, young people, families, and significant others are involved in and contribute to assessment planning, interventions and decision making. 15.Promote leading edge innovative best practice across all tiers of the workforce. Resources 16.Be responsible for key decision making in relation to resource allocation, service delivery, closure of work and all day to day operational matters whilst achieving best value in the way those services are delivered. 17.Ensure that resources are used to optimum efficiency including authorising and managing expenditures within prescribed devolved budget. Performance Management 18.As a member of the leadership and management team for the Service area, contribute to the strategic and policy developments in the area of work/service. Page 3 of 7
10. Apply performance targets, performance management and support processes including the development and monitoring of team plans, delivery of effective personal caseload supervision and mentoring; performance development reviews; management of disciplinary issues; and provision of statistical and performance management information relating to the work of the team.
11. Assist in the establishment, management and maintenance of monitoring systems for assessment and case management in order to maintain effective professional, managerial and budgetary control.
12. Model inclusive practice in relation to identity and diversity, challenging any issues of concern within the organisation.
13. Allocate work to team members in accordance with statutory requirements, strategic frameworks and departmental policies and procedures.
14. Manage, monitor and support the use of the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) in-house database and fully utilise the capability of the system across the team.
15. Ensure that complaints are fully investigated in line with the Service’s complaints procedure.
16. Assist with or as delegated, take responsibility for staff recruitment and selection procedures and appointments.
17. Maintain own Continuous Professional Development and develop a high level of professional knowledge through research, and reading, providing a source of expertise and developing specialist knowledge as required. To maintain and develop the required management knowledge and expertise.
18. Lead a team of staff including induction, training and personal development, absence management, retention, grievance/discipline/capability, succession planning, workforce planning.
19. Ensure that client information data is lawfully gathered, accurate, up to date and only divulged in accordance with GDPR and the local government common law duty of confidentiality. GENERAL This job description is a representative document. Other reasonable similar duties may be allocated from time to time commensurate with the general character of the post and it’s grading. This job description applies to a number of jobs within Children’s Social Care, the team (and office location) that staff undertaking this job description are allocated to could change at the discretion of management following consultation with individual post holders. In addition to his/her principal duties the post holder will be expected to contribute more widely to the overall development of the Service and the Council. You may be required to be available to contribute to the Out of Hours Service. Page 4 of 7 All employees are responsible for the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy so far as it affects them, their colleagues and others who may be affected by their work. The post holder is also expected to monitor the effectiveness of the health and safety arrangements and systems to promote appropriate improvements where necessary. All employees are expected to be committed to the Equality and Diversity policy and assist in removing the barriers to service delivery and employment to enhance a positive equality culture. This post is exempt from the provisions of Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. You are therefore not entitled to withhold information about convictions which for any other purposes are ‘spent’ under the provisions of the Act and any failure to disclose such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority. Any information given will be completely confidential and will be considered only in relation to the positions to which the Order applies. Date: Nov 2024 Name: Risthardh Hare Designation: Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Educa