Team Manager – Social Work with Families

The responsibilities include the following, so we ask that you have this experience:

• Direct work with children and families to achieve desired safety and well-being outcomes.
• Accountable to the Service Manager and Head of Service for the performance of the team
• Managing the team’s duty system
• Managing the day-to-day operational duties of social workers in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in accordance with our statutory duties.
• Ensure the delivery of services in line with the council polices, government policy, legislation, and department procedures.
• Provide leadership in delivering and implementing changes in structure, policies, and procedure.
• Effective communication with senior managers on activities and inform of any issues affecting delivery of service.
• Effective use of data to manage service delivery and performance
• Hold responsibility for delivery of the Key performance targets of the team
• Support the Service Manage budgets and expenditure to ensure appropriate uses of our financial resources.
• Ensure effective working relationships with our agency partners and other relevant services within the Local Authority

Essential Requirements

• Qualified Social Workers who are Social Work England registered
• Working knowledge of national policy, strategy and developments regarding children’s social care, and areas that impact on children’s social care.
• Able to lead improvement in social work practice at an operational level through effective performance management
• Evidence of leading and managing operational change effectively
• Able to lead and manage in an operational area dealing with high risk and high complexity in a way that delivers good safeguarding and well-being outcomes for children and families.
• Experience of managing and/or supervising childcare social workers in an area relevant to this particular service area with evidenced results of continuing practice and good outcomes for children.

Home to 94,000 children, Croydon is a truly unique place to practice social work. We are a borough with big ambition, grit, and determination. Children's social care was judged ‘good’ in our last Ofsted inspection.

Our systemic practice framework places emphasis on relationships as key to supporting change for families. We make sense of the world through relationships, focusing on the whole family system and thinking about our own part in that too – what we bring, our own family stories and beliefs, how we use ourselves in the work that we do. Our practice model is all about collaboration - with our families, networks and partners; being open to challenge and ensuring our practitioners are highly trained in a variety of intervention approaches.  Our established clinical service will support you to grow your own systemic practice within the service, providing accredited training, co-working and direct work with families.   

Benefits of working with Croydon

• You will be valued for your skills and expertise, supported by the team of experienced professionals, as well as the management at Croydon Council, one of the largest employers in the borough. We also offer:
• Highly competitive compensation package
• Accredited Systemic Practice training
• A range of CPD opportunities
• 29-31 days (grade equivalent) annual leave in addition to Bank Holidays and option to purchase more
• A pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 20%
• Continuing Professional Development – genuine opportunities to grow, develop and specialise in your career
• Management development programmes
• Investment into your wellbeing
• Access to Employee Discount scheme with a range of programmes (Cycle Benefit Scheme, GymFlex, Retail Discounts and more)
• We promote flexible & hybrid working arrangements where possible to support a healthy work-life balance

What makes Croydon special is our people – both within the council and throughout the borough.

• Choosing to practice social work in Croydon will give you opportunity to develop, grow, thrive, and strive; it is not just a job but a career. Here are some of the reasons our colleagues like working at Croydon:
• Our team consists of experienced, dedicated practitioners
• We meet regularly to make sure everyone we work with has the support and knowledge needed to make a difference and be the difference to our families, communities and colleagues
• At Croydon relationships matter and we are about strong partnerships and working together to make lasting positive change
• We are an established team who can help you settle in and offer their expertise
• You will have the support of an extremely knowledgeable understanding manager
• You will have access to a busy, buzzy, committed workforce and work environment Opportunities to work from home and work flexibly provides you with more work-life balance
• Opportunities to think together with your manager about career development
• Support to help you grow, develop, learn and lead

For an informal chat about working in Croydon, contact Agata Stolowska at agata.stolowska@croydon.gov.uk