Assistant Team Manager - Fostering - 37 Hours in Torquay

We are looking for an experienced, passionate, and committed Social Worker to join our Fostering Team as an Assistant Team Manager. The Fostering Team in Torbay aims to provide a service which is inclusive, aspirational, and forward-thinking. We recognise the needs of our foster carers and kinship carers and the importance of providing the best possible service to our foster carers and young people as they progress into adulthood.

You will have good, demonstrable knowledge of the relevant legislation, fostering national minimum standards and regulations and policy frameworks related to fostering and care-experienced young people and young adults. You will contribute to developing team and wider service improvements and working across Children’s Services to ensure that all the work we do including supervision, visits to foster carers and multi-agency meetings are child centred and focused on improving outcomes for our children, achieving stability for them in their foster placements and sufficiently and effectively supporting our carers to feel competent, motivated and equipped in meeting the needs of our children.

The role will involve you being the lead professional supporting several fostering families/connected carers. You will support the further embedding of a restorative practice led culture of continual improvement and quality assurance within the team. You will support the team manager to ensure compliance and practice standards are maintained to the highest level. You will be expected to participate in specialist project work across the service, and to promote creative and evidence-based practice within the team and deliver training to our foster carers. You will provide supervision to a small number of social workers and community workers to ensure staff wellbeing and performance. You will lead by example and work with the foster carers allocated to you and Social Workers with varying levels of practice experience.

This is an exciting and challenging role that should be seen as a step towards management opportunities in the future. In return for your commitment and hard work, Torbay will support you with relevant training and development opportunities delivered via the Learning Academy. A robust transition and support plan will be implemented with you when you commence your post and this will be regularly reviewed.

This post will be carrying out Regulated Activity. As such the post will require an Enhanced Criminal Record Check plus an additional Barred List Check. The check will reveal any spent and unspent convictions and adult cautions (which have not been filtered), any local Police information and a check of either the Adult, Child or Adult and Child Barred Lists.

Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 5th October 2026. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. At times there is a need to close our adverts earlier than the date specified, however, this advert will not close before 20th September. If you are keen to submit an application, please apply as soon as possible.

Skills

• Ability to work in an open and challenging way with families.
• Ability to demonstrate skills in mediation, negotiation and problem solving.
• Able to assess situations with clarity and sensitivity and act professionally in crisis situations.
• Demonstrate skills in working to achieve focussed outcomes.
• Ability to mentor others that upholds and promotes the ethical principles and values that guide professional practice and thereby ensures compliance with policies.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Knowledge

• Good understanding of the full range of activities delivered by the Authority and partners in relation to children, young people and families.
• Has a developed knowledge of Social Care policies and procedures, and makes themselves continually aware of new Child Care legislation and National Guidance.
• Awareness of effective management practices.
• Thorough understanding of current legislation and guidance and developments in services to children young people and families.
• Demonstrates an advanced and detailed knowledge of child development, attachment theory, anti discriminatory practice, the Framework for assessment of children in needs and their families, social work theory and methods.

Experience & Qualifications

• Social Work qualification, e.g., DipSW, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
• Current Registration Certificate from Social Work England.
• Significant post qualification experience of working with children and families in the context of current legislation and government initiatives.
• Significant qualification experience of working in a local authority setting.
• Experience of managing or supporting others and assuring compliance to policy and procedures.