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- Tasks: Lead a team in providing child-centred social care and develop impactful policies.
- Company: Join the London Borough of Sutton, known for its high resident satisfaction and ambitious growth plans.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working, generous leave, and various employee perks.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while thriving in a supportive and inclusive environment.
- Qualifications: Must be a qualified Social Worker with significant management experience in safeguarding practices.
- Other info: Opportunities for continuous learning and development, plus a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 68000 £ per year.
Join to apply for the Service Manager – Children Social Care role at London Borough of Sutton
Join to apply for the Service Manager – Children Social Care role at London Borough of Sutton
About The Borough
In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ.
About The Borough
In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ.
Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment.
All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We\’ve set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan – Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport. There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground. There’s also an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23.
About The Role And Our Ideal Candidate
Join Children Social Care as a Service Manager within our Children Looked After and Leaving Care service and enjoy a Golden Hello along with a Recruitment and Retention Bonus, outlined as follows:
- £1,000 paid with your first month\’s salary
- £1,000 for your first completed year of service
- £2,000 for your second completed year of service
- £3,000 for your third completed year of service and each year thereafter
With a total salary package of up to £68,476, inclusive of bonuses and benefits, this is an excellent opportunity to elevate your career in social care.
As a Service Manager for within Children Social Care, your responsibilities will include:
- Management of the Children Looked After and Leaving Care service
- Provide leadership to a team of social care professionals to ensure that all interventions are child-centred, emphasising the best interests of the children and young people in our care.
- Develop and implement children-focused policies, procedures, and best practices that enhance service delivery.
- Lead on the direction and delivery of court related case work and court proceedings.
- Manage personal advisors to support care experienced young people on the pathway to Adulthood.
- Manage budget planning and resource allocation effectively to ensure sustainability and efficiency of services.
- Ensure the highest standards of safeguarding practices are maintained, promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and young people.
- Fostering a positive team culture that encourages professional development opportunities for staff.
As a Service Manager, you will play a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership to the teams that deliver front-line practice. You will ensure compliance with both local and national legislation, maintaining high standards of service delivery. Your expertise in children\’s social care and effective people management will be key as you oversee teams within the service composed of Team Managers, social workers and personal advisors.
You will lead your teams by monitoring practice, managing processes, and overseeing data management to ensure our Local Authority meets statutory requirements while addressing the health and wellbeing needs of the children and young people in our care and care leavers. A thorough understanding of relevant legislation and policy application is essential, along with a proven track record of achieving positive outcomes for children and young people. This knowledge will be critical for promoting high-performance within social care practices.
Our strong, accessible, and supportive management culture, led by our Service Managers, is essential to creating a positive team environment that promotes regular supervision and encourages continuous professional development for staff. Join us on this journey to create an environment where both the children in our care and our staff can thrive and succeed in their everyday lives.
The successful candidate should candidate to demonstrate the following competences (not limited to:):
- Qualified Social Worker with a Social Work Degree or recognised qualification, registered with Social Work England, the relevant governing body.
- Significant experience at team manager level (ideally 4 years), with demonstrable experience of frontline safeguarding practice.
- Leadership skills and social care expertise to grow and develop your service in accordance with changing needs and policy.
- Excellent communication, analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to have relevant understanding of social work practice as defined within Children Act 1989 and Working Together 2023.
- Knowledge and experience of managing services for care experienced young people will be an advantage for this role.
For more information about the role and/or an informal conversation, you can view the Role Profile or contact Debbie Owen Head of Service Corporate Parenting (debbie.owen@sutton.gov.uk)
About Us
The London Borough of Sutton “is uncompromising in its focus on improving quality of frontline social work” – Ofsted
London Borough of Sutton works closely with Kingston University and regional partners as part of the Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership (SWTP). The partnership offers staff a wide range of pre and post qualifying education opportunities to promote continuous learning and development. This includes staff being encouraged to support the practice education of Social Work students and those in the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE). Staff are also given the opportunity to attend conferences, workshops and have access to research and practice resources to support their ongoing professional development.
Children\’s Social Care is going through an important change to meet the growing needs of the children and families we support. We are making many improvements to ensure that care for children is better and to create positive working environments for our staff. With committed leaders and experienced managers, we are bringing fresh ideas to our work and are helping to make real improvements in how we support children and families. Our aim is to provide high-quality care that helps children thrive while also creating an inclusive, diverse, and supportive environment for our staff to develop their careers.
Our Offer To You
As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across – however big or small – will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.
In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps. Our Flexible Working – Smarter Working Scheme embraces new ways of working. It provides improved work life balance for our staff as it allows staff to work from a variety of locations and staff are not required to work within the office 5 days a week.
Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:
- Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
- General Council Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
- Public Health Service Localised Flexi-time Scheme – accrual of up to 5 days per year
- Three volunteering days per year in Sutton
- Comprehensive learning and development programme
- Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Car parking scheme
- Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
- Zip car scheme
- Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
- Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
- Subsidised gym membership
Application Process
Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.
To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our short listing process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and short list applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile.
The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Additional Information
We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve – the key highlights from our recent Equalities Workforce Report can be seen here. We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.
We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.
The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
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Service Manager - Children Social Care employer: LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON
Contact Detail:
LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Service Manager - Children Social Care
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the local policies and procedures related to children's social care in Sutton. Understanding the specific challenges and initiatives within the borough will help you demonstrate your commitment and readiness to lead effectively.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former employees of the London Borough of Sutton, especially those in social care roles. They can provide valuable insights into the organisational culture and expectations, which can be beneficial during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your leadership style and how it aligns with the council's vision for children's services. Be ready to share examples of how you've successfully managed teams and improved service delivery in previous roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Stay updated on recent legislation and best practices in children's social care. Being knowledgeable about current trends and challenges in the field will position you as a well-informed candidate who is ready to make a positive impact.
We think you need these skills to ace Service Manager - Children Social Care
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Read the job description thoroughly to grasp the responsibilities and expectations of the Service Manager position. Highlight your relevant experience in children’s social care and how it aligns with the role.
Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV to reflect the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the Service Manager role. Emphasise your leadership experience, knowledge of safeguarding practices, and any specific achievements in social care.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that not only outlines your qualifications but also demonstrates your passion for improving children's services. Use specific examples to illustrate how you have positively impacted children and young people in your previous roles.
Highlight Relevant Competencies: In your application, clearly address the competencies listed in the job profile, such as your qualifications, team management experience, and understanding of relevant legislation. This will help the hiring managers see how you meet their criteria.
How to prepare for a job interview at LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON
✨Understand the Role
Make sure you thoroughly read the job description and understand the responsibilities of a Service Manager in Children Social Care. Be prepared to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs, especially in areas like safeguarding practices and team leadership.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Service Manager, you'll need strong leadership abilities. Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've successfully led a team, managed conflicts, or implemented new policies that improved service delivery.
✨Demonstrate Knowledge of Legislation
Familiarise yourself with relevant legislation such as the Children Act 1989 and Working Together 2023. Be ready to discuss how these laws impact your work and how you ensure compliance within your team.
✨Prepare Questions
Interviews are a two-way street. Prepare insightful questions about the council's vision for Children Social Care, their approach to professional development, and how they support staff wellbeing. This shows your genuine interest in the role and the organisation.
