Team Manager - Children Looked After Team

At Solihull Council, we pride ourselves on being a Council that is small enough to care, but big enough to make a difference. We are well on our way on our transformational journey, designed to improve the experience of the children and families we work with. Children’s Services is our top priority within our Council plan and we are placing children at the heart of all that we do.

We currently have an opportunity for an experienced and committed Team Manager to join our Children Looked After Team within Solihull Children’s Services. We are looking for exceptional candidates who are passionate about improving the lives of children, young people and their families at this critical time, here in Solihull.

You will be responsible for the leadership and management of a social work team who support all young people to ensure they do not remain in looked after care for longer than is necessary. They support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people with appropriate and safe accommodation.

As the Team Manager, you will lead on operational developments alongside our partners, as well as working with others to develop services. You will take responsibility for the day-to-day operational management of a team, to ensure that young people receive a responsive service that promotes and safeguards their welfare.

As a key part of the council leadership team, you will also have the opportunity to be creative, influence practice and promote a learning environment where team members can develop their skills, to enable them to do their job well and support children to achieve positive outcomes.

And due to our investment and commitment to ensuring additional resources are in place, our Personal Advisors have genuinely manageable caseloads, to ensure the best possible outcomes for our young people and their families.

You will be social work qualified, registered with Social Work England and you will have substantial post-qualifying experience of practice with young people and their carers.

You will also have:

• Significant management experience working within a pressurised children’s social work environment
• Knowledge of relevant up-to-date social work legislation, statutory guidance, theories and research and how it impacts on practice
• PQ or Practice Teaching Accreditation
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills, to enable you to build strong relationships with children, young people and their families/carers, as well as wider partners and voluntary agencies
• A full driving license and access to a car, though reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants, where required.

In return, we will agree a bespoke personal development plan; you will have access to our high-quality internal training programme and continuous professional development framework, to enable you to further develop your leadership skills within a friendly, professional working environment.

We are a small and friendly local authority with good relationships across the children’s social work service. We also have close partnerships across agencies in the borough, which allow for a culture of support, shared learning and mentoring between agencies.

We are ambitious in Solihull and are building a stronger Solihull for our children, families and workforce. Connecting Families is the name of Solihull Children’s Services practice framework. At its core, Connecting Families demonstrates the beliefs, values and principles of restorative practice and gives us a consistent relationship-based way of practicing to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

We believe that families and their connected networks are of primary importance and are the most important influence on improving outcomes for children. We believe that children and their family networks are experts in their own lives and that children and their family networks have strengths, on which they should be empowered to build and draw on through effective family decision-making.

Our team also enjoys a hybrid approach, working from both their home and our modern offices, as well as various flexible working arrangements and a generous benefits package that includes competitive salaries and payment of SWE registration; a modern working environment; a staff discount scheme; and a strong focus on staff wellbeing, with access to our Employee Assistance programme.

So, if you are ready to lead our ambitious team – and make a tangible impact and positive difference to families’ lives – then we would be delighted to receive your application.

If you have a specific question regarding this vacancy please contact:

• Rachael Ward, Assistant Director – Rachael.ward@solihull.gov.uk
• Vicky Hodgkins, Head of Service – vicky.hodgkins@solihull.gov.uk

This post will require an enhanced DBS and barring list check. This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

Solihull Council has a responsibility for, and is committed to, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Solihull Council is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.