Team Manager - Children with Disabilities (Childrens)

Posted 18th Jun, 2025

Location

Havering

Salary/rate

£57,663 – £61,980

Hours

Full-time

Working arrangements

Blended

Contract type

Permanent

Closing date

29th Jun, 2025

About the role

Duties and Responsibilities

· Manage and oversee staff to ensure effective delivery of services to children, young people, and their families through high quality social work in line with standards of good practice, legislation, and guidance

· Lead and monitor staff in ensuring robust recording of information on relevant systems and databases in line with standards set, whilst capturing and evidencing the voice of the child

· Assist the Service Manager and Head of Service in planning and developing services for vulnerable children, young people, and their families, identifying needs and potential difficulties/challenges, escalating issues as appropriate

· Effectively manage budgets and ensure services are cost effective

· Produce reports and attend meetings/forums as required

· Chair formal multi-disciplinary meetings, team meetings, panels, reviews and attend meetings and conferences where required

· Work collaboratively with partner agencies and the community to ensure an integrated approach to service delivery and the development of effective joint working partnerships

· Provide supervision and appraisal to staff in line with standards set and encourage professional development opportunities

· Promote systemic, face to face practice, ensuring purposeful work is undertaken by the team with children, young people and families that adhere to timescales and improve outcomes

· The post holder will be expected to work outside ‘normal’ office hours as required by their line manager; this will include providing out of hours cover on a rota basis

· The duties and responsibilities outlined in this job profile are indicative of the role, however they are not exhaustive and may be subject to change. In addition, you will be required to undertake other reasonable duties as directed by your manager.

· The post holder will be expected to travel to meetings across the borough and nationally on occasions

Additional Requirements:

n Comply with any and all legislation and good practice appropriate to the work you undertake, and particularly that related to:

n Safeguarding

n Information security and confidentiality

n Equality, diversity and inclusion

n Health and safety

n This is an unprecedented time of social, technological and financial change. The Council needs all staff to embrace change by demonstrating a flexible attitude to work, understanding that for us to provide excellent services to the people of Havering, you may be required to undertake other duties in line with the overarching nature of this role and your level of skills and responsibility.

n Embrace the Council’s iCare values and behaviours in all aspects of work and service delivery.

About you

Person Specification

Qualifications

· Relevant Social Work Qualification

· Registered with Social Work England

Experience

· Experience of operational leadership of diverse statutory teams in a complex or multi-agency management environment working

· Knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance and practices and their implications, in relation to child social care practice

· Experience of managing social workers and influencing the quality of social work practice to meet the needs of children and their families

· Experience of influencing service provision in partner agencies over which there is no direct line management relationship

· Evidence of success in promoting and implementing equal opportunity policies and practices in respect of employment and service delivery

· Proven track record of providing coaching, mentoring and / or supervision with evidence of positive outcomes within children’s social care

· Experience of working within a systemic model of practice, and using this demonstrably within own practice including systemic supervision

· Experience of setting clear priorities, objectives and standards and delivering to challenging performance targets

Skills and Attributes

· Possess strong leadership skills to guide and motivate the team effectively. This includes setting clear goals, delegating tasks, and providing feedback and support to team

· The ability to communicate effectively and hold a proficient level of written / verbal communication / presentational skills and I.T. skills. The ability to provide instructions, and maintain open lines of communication to address any concerns or issues that arise is crucial

· Highly organised, ensuring that tasks are distributed efficiently, deadlines are met, and paperwork and documentation are maintained accurately. This includes maintaining schedules, managing resources, and coordinating team activities

· A strong understanding of child social care policies, regulations, and procedures is essential. This includes knowledge of child protection laws, foster care, children with disabilities, children in care, along with resources available to support children and their families

· Ability to collaborate effectively with other professionals, agencies, and stakeholders

· Foster a culturally accepting environment and ensure that the team can work sensitively with individuals from diverse backgrounds

· Represent the team's interests, identifying gaps in service, and advocating for necessary resources and policy changes to improve outcomes for vulnerable children

· Hold a high level of resilience to cope with stress, adversity, and demanding situations, helping in maintaining a positive and supportive work environment for the team.

About Havering

A message from our director:

Are you passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of children, young people, and families? Do you have a strong desire to be part of a transformative journey that will shape the future of Havering’s community? If so, we invite you to join us in our mission to elevate our local authority's Children's Social Care Services, situated within our Starting Well Department.

Following our recent inadequate Ofsted inspection, we are embarking on an improvement journey where we aim to re-establish and reinvigorate great practice across all our services delivered in Havering. As part of this journey, we are seeking dedicated and enthusiastic social care practitioners ready to make a meaningful difference, driven by a genuine desire to advocate for children, promote their well-being, and who are not afraid to take on the challenge of working for a local authority who have been inspected by Ofsted as inadequate.

In return, we want to offer you the opportunity to develop your skills through our dedicated 10 days of learning a year offer and access to our very own Social Care Academy and Systemic offer. We are committed to creating an environment where every child receives the best possible support and care, and all staff are supported to thrive and excel in safe, supported, and nurturing environments.

Our Senior leaders have worked on an improvement plan, and if you are ready to embrace this challenge and play a pivotal role in shaping our journey, we encourage you to apply.

We look forward to welcoming individuals who share our vision and drive.

Havering is an outer London borough like no other. Sitting in Northeast London (Zone 6), we have three Crossrail stations in borough which means we are only 30 minutes from Oxford Street. We are well connected to the hustle and bustle of the city, whilst just a short drive or bus ride from the surrounding Essex countryside and coast, giving our residents the best of both city and rural living.

It’s no wonder that we have one of the fastest growing and increasingly diverse child populations in the country, who benefit from living in one of the greenest areas in London. We have some amazing parks, 16 of which have green flag award status, and we are served by a rich mix of foundation, community, voluntary aided and academy schools with great Ofsted ratings.

Havering Town Hall, which hosts our main offices, is in the centre of Romford - our largest town and home to a vibrant street market dating back to 1247. Our offices are a 5 minute walk from the main shopping centres which host a range of popular shops, restaurants and gyms.

We are also unique in our political makeup, with Havering Residents’ Association working to make a Havering you want to be part of.

We are dedicated to creating the right conditions to support our social care practitioners to thrive by fostering an environment where you can develop your skills and knowledge alongside like-minded individuals. We value our employees and offer a range of benefits:

We are a family-friendly employer and welcome applications for part time roles at 0.5 full time equivalent
£4,000 annual market supplement payment for Social Workers, Advanced Practitioners, Team Managers and Service Managers
A tailored training programme along with development opportunities through our very own dedicated Social Care Academy and corporate offer of 10 days of learning per year
Access to accredited systemic training and in-house practice application workshops
A commitment to achieving and maintaining manageable caseloads
Generous local government pension scheme and leave entitlement
Subsidised parking at various council-owned car parks across the borough
Modern workplace equipped with the latest technology
A strong corporate health and wellbeing offer, discounted gym membership, employee assistance programme and much more
Annual staff recognition schemes (STAR awards and Social Care awards) celebrating and recognising staff commitment and achievement 
Access to a range of staff forums including LGBTQI+, B.A.M.E., Faith, Ability, Women’s, and Men’s forums.

If you have any questions about applying, please contact Talent Team: Talent@havering.gov.uk

Team Manager - Children with Disabilities (Childrens)

Find out more about working in Havering