Salary: £52, – £55, (£31, – £33, pro rata) – market supplements included

Working Pattern: Part Time, Permanent (0.61FTE – 22.2 Hours per week over 3 days)
Location: Worthing

Closing date: 28/07/22

We’re seeking a Team Manager to join our Family Safeguarding team based in Worthing. The successful candidate will be ready to share great ideas and great practice in order to motivate and inspire a social work team within the Family Safeguarding Model.

Our Family Safeguarding team plays a key role in child protection, court work, child in need cases and safety planning for children. We undertake meaningful and transparent direct work with children and their families ensuring the most positive outcomes, and our diverse practice teams work within a positive, nurturing environment where successes are celebrated and individuals within the team are supported to grow and develop.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

  • Ability to make sound pragmatic problem-solving decisions, which will have a wider service impact. The ability to provide comprehensive professional advice and support within the service specialism, including tackling difficult problems of a technical, professional, resource or people related nature
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence the actions of others and communicate information which may be complex and contentious. This will include the ability to develop effective long-term relationships both with other teams across WSCC and external partners enabling the achievement of high-quality outcomes
  • Effective people and performance management skills and the ability to provide direction and motivate and inspire the team to deliver quality professional practice. You will use data to identify and address performance challenges, manage throughput of work, and manage team performance. The ability to use supervision, appraisal and data to have reflective and crucial conversations with staff to identify performance and improve practice
  • Able to manage self, is self-aware and understands impact of work on self and others and responds constructively to situations. Understands the need for emotional intelligence/resilience, specifically in relation to risk, ensuring that there is a positive balance between perceived risk and protection from harm where necessary. Ability to respond calmly and appropriately to situations where others are in a stressful or anxious situation
  • Able to reflect on practice and learn from experience and feedback, taking responsibility for own performance and being proactive in relation to own work and professional development. Ability to challenge existing practices and identify innovative solutions within the required framework. Further to that the ability to interpret and manage political influences on social work practice and to work with peers and managers to address potential impacts
  • Qualifications, knowledge and experience:

  • A recognised Social Work qualification or equivalent as recognised by the relevant professional body
  • A recognised post qualifying award in Social Work or demonstrable evidence of continuous professional development at a similar level
  • Registration with the relevant professional registration body and maintaining registration with that body
  • Demonstrable experience of delivering or co-ordinating a quality customer focused service to others
  • Experience in dealing with significant issues, for example management of complex child protection matters, staff under performance, managing resources to address team performance priorities through allocation of limited resources
  • Experience of managing/leading staff
  • Expert relevant experience in specialist area, including sound relevant operational experience in social work, ideally working as a senior practitioner or small team leader/supervisor
  • Experience of managing a small budget and/or contributing to financially related decisions on larger spends, how cost-effective decisions are made and operating within the financial constraints
  • Experience of supporting initiatives in a political environment
  • Demonstrable knowledge of how to improve practice and performance in a supportive, positive way
  • Valid, full driving licence
  • Rewards and Benefits

    You’ll have access to research communities including Research in Practice and Community Care Inform, flexible and mobile working opportunities, a minimum of 5 days CPD per year and a generous annual leave entitlement of up to 29 days, as well as the option to buy up to 3 additional days.

    Further Information

    The reference number for this role is CAFHE

    To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.

    We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

    West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people.

    For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please visit our page.