Job Description
Team Manager - Safeguarding and Care Planning
Bromley are seeking highly talented and ambitious registered Team Managers to join us on our journey to excellence.
Bromley Children’s Social Care has recently been awarded an Ofsted rating of “outstanding”. You can view the latest report here.
The Safeguarding and Care Planning Service works in partnership with other agencies such as Police, Health and Education, and aims to ensure children grow up with the best life chances and receive safe and consistent care.
The team works on the premise that children should be raised within their families wherever possible providing it is safe for them. We recognise that unfortunately some families struggle to care and/or consistently meet the needs of their children and need our support. The team works with children who are subject to Child in Need Plans and Child Protection Plans, striving to work with their family to create and promote the enabling environment where children can thrive and reach their full potential.
Our values and behaviours have a key part to play in how staff carry out the work of the Council and how we engage and build working relationships with key partner agencies. This framework outlines the desired behaviours that align with our established values, to help create a workforce that are able to deliver services that are seen as ‘excellent’ in the eyes of local people. To read more about our REAL Values and Behaviours, please click here: Values and Behaviours.pdf
Our Safeguarding and Care Planning Service consists of 10 Safeguarding Teams; 5 in the East and 5 in the West of the borough. You will be joining an ambitious service with strong leadership and clear lines of support.
As part of the Bromley Promise there will be a dedicated two-week induction programme upon joining us. We are confident that with your support, we will continue to provide high quality social care services to our children in Bromley as set out in our improvement and transformation plan. In return we ask that you bring your passion, dedication and skills to us.
MAIN PURPOSE:
To discharge the authority’s responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and other relevant legislation with respect to children in need, particularly those in need of protection and those looked after by the authority.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
1. With appropriate supervision, assess for and provide services to children in need within the framework of the appropriate legislation, regulations, departmental procedures and child care policy. This will include responsibility for a limited caseload of children and families where needs are particularly complex and problematic.
2. To follow and apply relevant internal policies and procedures in working with complex family situations and vulnerable children including children on the child protection register, children subject to legal proceedings and Looked After children.
3. To ensure that services are efficiently and effectively provided, liaising as necessary with other divisions, Council Departments, N.H.S. trusts, schools, carers, voluntary and independent sector providers.
4. To maintain high standards of professional practice within their own workload and to promote and enhance such practice within the team and division, through the implementation of departmental quality assurance systems.
5. All post holders are expected to maintain professional standards of practice and to work in accordance with the Departmental vision, values, procedures and managerial guidance.
6. To supervise a number of professional staff within the team in line with relevant internal procedures on supervision, training and personal developments
7. To deputize for the group manager where required, this will include responsibility for managing duty in his / her absence, allocating priority work and providing support and guidance to other team members in their absence.
8. To chair as appropriate a range of professional, statutory and interagency meetings including Children in need meetings, child care reviews and permanency meetings.
9. To make recommendations to the Group Manager (or other budget holder as appropriate) regarding the use of budgets to support care plans and to use delegated budgetary powers as appropriate within financial regulations.
10. To undertake appropriate training and to maintain a knowledge of changes to departmental procedure, legislation and regulations and of developments in professional practice.
11. To take responsibility within the team for the development of practice; to contribute to training; to have liaison responsibilities and to represent the team on working parties and other bodies as required.
12. To promote Equal Opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice in all areas of work within and outside the Council, in line with legislation and Council policy.
13. To undertake any other duties as may be required commensurate with the grading of the post in order to meet the changing needs of the service.
14. To support the Group Manager to ensure that departmental objectives and targets are met.
15. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post, as required to ensure the efficient and effective running of the Department / Section.
About you
SKILLS & ABILITIES:
Ability to work within a framework of legislation, guidance, divisional policies and procedures and accountability to senior officers.
Ability to relate effectively to children, parents and carers, many of whom may be under stress.
Ability to supervise, support and facilitate the work of more junior staff that are having to deal with particularly difficult situations.
Ability to work as a team member and to form professional partnerships with other staff within the Department, colleagues from other agencies, foster carers and residential workers and health and education professionals. This will include an ability to remain aware of the roles and responsibilities of others and to promote a positive image of the division and department.
Ability to chair a range of statutory, multidisciplinary meetings and to take appropriate notes and minutes when required.
Skill in analysing complex and problematic situations and in formulating, implementing and reviewing, alongside service users, appropriate assessment and intervention programmes.
Skill in communicating clearly orally and in writing, including an ability to maintain concise case records including Looked After Children documentation and to produce reports for case conferences, courts and other bodies.
Ability to manage working time effectively in order to meet both professional priorities and administrative requirements.
Ability to think creatively in meeting children’s and families’ needs, using family and community networks, voluntary sector and other external resources and provision where appropriate.
Ability to contribute to the overall development of the team e.g.: making presentations and leading discussion in areas of professional practice; identifying opportunities for meeting need more effectively; promoting an appropriate and professional climate.
Ability to devise and implement quality assurance systems for the team.
Demonstrate appropriate understanding, knowledge and skills in valuing diversity.
KNOWLEDGE:
Comprehensive knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and other relevant legislation, regulations and guidance such as new assessment framework.
Knowledge of the range of services, which are available to children and families, and of the organisational framework within which they are provided.
Knowledge of child development and of family functioning and dynamics.
Knowledge of methods of social work intervention.
EXPERIENCE:
Appropriate and relevant experience and post-qualification experience of children and families social work within a statutory, voluntary or independent sector organisation. This to include:
Supervising complex Casework
Supervising Supporting & coaching Social Workers
Experience of Practice teaching
BROMLEY VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS:
Each post within the Council correlates to the Bromley BR grading system. Using a Job Evaluation scheme each role is benchmarked to demonstrate the responsibilities, skills and abilities required to undertake it. Our behaviours framework complements this approach by giving examples of the types of behaviours expected at each grade and goes further to indicate aspirational levels.
Expected Behaviour Levels of Staff for BR11-BR14 Grades:
Accountability and Responsibility:
Shows strong understanding of how their actions will impact on the reputation of the wider service they deliver. Shows drive and tenacity in resolving immediate problems and finding ways to ensure they do not occur again.
Keeps up to date with new ideas and issues that impact on his/her service. Shares own experience and learning to the benefit of colleagues and the service.
Builds Relationships:
Has a reputation for acting with integrity. Always seeks to find the common ground on which to build productive working relationships.
Communication:
Influences others by presenting their ideas in a compelling manner. Picks up non-verbal clues when talking with others.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Degree or equivalent qualification in Social Care.
Essential - Applicant to be registered with Social Work England or able to obtain registration prior to commencement of employment.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
A satisfactory enhanced Disclosure Barring Service check is required.
About Bromley
In Bromley we are consistently going above and beyond, enabling our children, young people, and their families to grow and flourish, being aspirational and building resilience for the future. We strive to create opportunities to be innovative and reflective within an organisation that nurtures relationships, always seeks feedback, and has self-confidence to listen and act.
Our vision is: by working together with children and their families and agency partners, we will ensure that every child in Bromley has the right help at the right time to keep them safe, and to meet their needs, so they achieve, thrive, and reach their full potential.
Our ‘Bromley Relationship Model’ is a model unique to our local authority based on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Our vision is at the heart of our model and is supported by our purpose, our aims, our social work behaviours, and our enablers.
The Bromley Promise:
Manageable caseloads for every Social Worker
Dedicated time for reflective supervision
Generous Annual Leave Entitlement including an additional three days
Small Cluster teams with one team manager supervising four Social Workers
Two-week protected induction programme
Excellent Learning and development opportunities with bespoke training for every social worker
Social Workers and team managers have easy and regular access to the leadership team
Some of the benefits working for the London Borough of Bromley:
Eligibility to join the Lease Car Scheme
Membership of the excellent Local Government Pension Scheme
Excellent transport links
Salary Sacrifice Schemes e.g. Cycle2Work bike scheme
Employee Benefits Lifestyle Discounts – hundreds of discounts at local and national retailers, restaurants, holidays and much more
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