At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic Kinship Assessment Team to deliver high-quality social care.
- Company: Join Lambeth, a passionate team dedicated to improving children's lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, up to 35 days leave, and hybrid working options.
- Other info: Be part of an innovative environment focused on systemic approaches and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Social work qualified with experience in fostering and team management.
The predicted salary is between 56436 - 59574 £ per year.
Lambeth is looking for a highly motivated Team Manager to manage a fast-paced Kinship Assessment Team within our Fostering and Permanency Service. As Team Manager you will help us to deliver high quality assessments to kinship carers to achieve our vision of making Lambeth one of the best places in the world for children and young people to grow up. In this role, you will play a key leadership role in the delivery of high-quality social care practice to ensure that these outcomes are realised.
You will manage a team of 5 permanent social workers and 1 compliance officer. We work hard to achieve positive and sustainable changes in children’s lives and support our kinship carers to a very high standard. As the Team Manager, you will ensure delivery of high quality, inclusive services, responsive to the needs of young people and the wider community, address the safeguarding needs of children and young people, and promote corporate parenting principles across the council.
About You
You will need to be social work qualified with significant experience in fostering, kinship or special guardianship assessment teams. You will have extensive knowledge of the Children Act and other areas of social work legislation including a sound understanding and working knowledge of the fostering regulations and standards. You will also need to have experience of managing others within a fostering service.
You will need to have a passion to lead and motivate staff to demonstrate best practice. You will have the ability to manage risk and use of multidisciplinary working with partner agencies is essential. You will be expected to ensure a high level of compliance with the statutory and regulatory requirements of the service. Our ambition is to become an outstanding provider. We are keen to hear from you if you have strong leadership skills and a passion for continuous improvements.
You will be experienced in supporting social workers to be the agents of change and to empower and enable them to spend their time doing good quality, meaningful social work, coproduced and tailored around the needs and issues of each family they work with. You will need strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work effectively within a performance framework to ensure high quality social work. You will ensure performance indicators are met as well as taking budget responsibility.
You are expected to demonstrate and role model responses and decisions in the best interests of children, young people, and families by using ‘role generosity’ when considering service/team/practitioner remits. Lambeth promotes Systemic approaches to working with families and communities. By embedding systemic values in our innovative ‘Children at the Heart of Practice’ framework, we are inspiring, resourcing and enabling social workers to undertake impactful relationship-based practice.
Why Lambeth
- Fantastic, modern working environment in the award-winning Lambeth Town Hall and Civic Centre buildings
- Competitive Salaries
- Up to 35 days annual leave, dependent upon continuous service
- 5 Minutes from London Underground and excellent transport links into the centre of London
- Hybrid/Flexible working
- Cycle to Work Scheme (including City Bike Hire scheme)
- Attractive Local Government Pension Scheme
We are a Stonewall diversity champion; a Living Wage Employer and we guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role. Successful candidates will be asked to apply for an Enhanced Certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Further information about the DBS can be found on their website.
Closing Date: 9th of August at midnight
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Team Manager (SGO & Assessments) in London
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Lambeth Council.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Lambeth Council!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Lambeth Council, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Lambeth Council or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Team Manager (SGO & Assessments) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Lambeth Council:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Lambeth Council! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Lambeth Council
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
