Team Manager – Children with Disabilities – Croydon Council
Salary: Grade 16 (£57,201 - £59,328)
Permanent – 36 hours per weekWelcome Payment - £10,000Retention Payment – £5,000
Hybrid working
We are seeking a qualified and experienced Team Manager to join us and support our extremely talented team of Social Workers to driving the service forward. You will lead and manage performance of a team and foster a culture of continuous learning and reflection of practice that inspires staff to give their best in their roles.
To lead and manage performance of a team of social workers and foster a culture of continuous learning and reflection of practice that inspires staff to give of their best in their roles.
Introduce, embed and continually improve at team level, the quality of social work consistent with established models of good practice.
To provide professional advice to staff, colleagues and partners for the area of responsibility.
Ensure that assessments and plans for children are robust, evidence-based, progressed in a timely way, are effective in keeping children safe and are outcome focussed.
Allocate cases effectively in terms of matching the risk / complexity of cases with the skills, experience and professional development needs of social workers. Prioritise the deployment of staff resources and ensure practice is operating in accordance with the thresholds of Croydon’s early help and staged intervention model. Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and Croydon practice standards in respect of the protection and well-being of children, including looked after
children and young people. To embed and develop the outcomes focussed framework and culture across the service that demonstrates measurable improvements in the stability, well-being and safety of children and families allocated in the Team. Contribute to the development and introduction of a quality assurance framework for the service and use the findings to drive continuous practice improvement in the Team.
To manage and contribute to projects that deliver service improvement, working to recognised project management principles and methods. To maintain up-to-date knowledge of research findings, legislation, statutory guidance and policy developments relevant to the service area.
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 practitionersWe 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 colleaguesAt Croydon relationships matter and we are about strong partnerships and working together to make lasting positive changeWe are an established team who can help you settle in and offer their expertiseYou will have the support of an extremely knowledgeable understanding managerYou 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 balanceOpportunities to think together with your manager about career developmentSupport 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