Team Manager for Children we Care for

Vibe Care are seeking for their client a Team Manager (Grade 15) for the Children We Care For team within Children's Social Care. Based in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, however be able to travel throughout the county and elsewhere as required and able to work flexible working hours, and provision of out of hours advice, guidance and decision-making as required.

Hours: Full Time 37 hours per week

Key Duties:

• Supervision and line management of Social workers and other staff as allocated.
• To chair key meetings involving high risk and/or vulnerable children and young people.
• Support the team to achieve permanency for children and young people in a timely way and ensure all decisions and actions taken are in the best interests of the child.
• To play a key leadership role in providing safe and effective services for Children in Care in Oxfordshire, and for promoting positive outcomes.
• To link with key colleagues and to promote partnership working with key agencies to support LAC pathways.
• Support Permanency Planning for children we care for and promote transition planning for adulthood.
• Support performance management within the team and deliver on key performance targets.
• Ensure the complaints to the service are dealt with in line with the complaints procedure and take an active role when required.
• Ensure that services are delivered in compliance with legislative, contractual, regulatory and best practice frameworks.
• Ensure appropriate budget management in compliance with financial management protocols.

Responsibilities:

• Responsibility for planning and delivering services that improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Be sensitive to the needs of children, young people and families, and of the highest professional standards.
• Accountable for effective case allocation, using supervision and analysis of management reports to ensure optimum case management and resolution.
• To monitor and evaluate outcomes of services against agreed standards, and reporting to Children's Services Management Team as appropriate.
• Responsibility for implementation of policy and procedure, and effective decision-making within delegated authority level, ensuring staff adherence to all directorate policy, procedures and standards.
• Responsible and accountable for the effective analysis and management of risk for all children held within their team, and ensuring compliance by team members with the requirements of relevant legislation, guidance and procedures.
• Responsible and accountable for provision of safe child in need, child protection and LAC care plans for children and young people, assuring timeliness and quality of assessment, planning, implementation and review, and working in partnership with children, young people and families, and partner agencies.
• Responsible and accountable for effective team budget management, compliance with financial rules, identifying pressures and savings and bringing in a balanced budget.
• Responsibility for professional and managerial staff supervision, in accordance with directorate supervision policy; for staff practice improvement and development, management of staff performance and ensuring under-performance is dealt with robustly.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with and quality of record keeping and report writing in the team, in accordance with requirements of the Integrated Children's System and directorate policy and procedure.
• Responsible for effective service delivery through an adequately resourced team, using recruitment, induction, training and workforce planning methods to support the team's development and performance.
• To act as the Designated Complaints Officer and deal with stage one complaints, and to work with staff and partners to resolve service problems and identify ways to improve services.
• To provide cover for other Team Managers in their absence.
• To ensure children, young people and their families are appropriately consulted about services and that their views inform service delivery and development.
• To ensure the team's commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity, inclusive and collaborative working practices.
• To contribute to service planning processes, identifying future objectives and service developments, participate in directorate research and developmental activity, undertake project work in a specific area, consistent with the post holder's skills and workload.

Essential Criteria:

• Qualified Social Worker (B.A. Hons Degree, DipSW or CQSW) or equivalent & evidence of continuous training & personal development.
• Detailed knowledge of childcare legislation, guidance and regulations.
• Knowledge of national standards for Looked After Children.
• Understanding of the Integrated Children's System.
• Knowledge and awareness of children's rights issues.
• Understanding of national and local policy issues in relation to CP/CIN/LAC/LC.
• Understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities and diversity in service delivery and employment.
• Considerable experience of child protection, children in need and looked after children services delivered in a statutory setting.
• Experience of effective supervision or coaching of staff.
• Experience of effective inter-agency working.
• Experience of assessing and managing risk in children's social care services.