Area Social Work (child protection – West Leeds) x 2 posts
Integrated Safeguarding Unit x 1 post
Child Health and Disability Team x 1 post
Hours: 37 (full time)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Leeds (various office bases)
As a Service Delivery Manager, you’ll thrive on leading and inspiring teams and driving restorative practice. You will be passionate about working to bring everyone together to create a Child Friendly Leeds and be aligned with the Best City Ambition. In this strategic role, you will model skills in relationship building, developing positive working partnerships and demonstrate your social work values throughout your work. You will look to ensuring best practice and being innovative in your approach.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
* Be experienced in leading and managing a social work team/service to ensure the welfare of children and young people are safeguarded and promoted and statutory duties are met.
* Have excellent interpersonal skills and be a critical thinker.
* Be skilled in developing and establishing effective working relationships with key partners.
* Have experience of analysing data and key performance indicators to support continual service improvement and development.
* Ability to report on service performance and develop improvement plans.
* Have a positive can-do attitude to challenges and change and ability to enthuse and motivate others.
* Be child centred and restorative in your approach and committed to working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.
* Be ambitious for your service, have excellent organisational skills and be able to share your skills and knowledge to develop others and your service.
About the role
For the area post, you will play a key role in overseeing the performance and quality of practice of multiple social work teams across a service area. You will ensure positive outcomes for children and young people, ensuring that social work teams are meeting the statutory requirements set through legislation, national and regional guidance in respect of children in need, child protection and children Looked After. This will be in collaboration with key partner agencies and services.
For the Integrated Safeguarding post, you will lead a team of Safeguarding and Reviewing Officers, Fostering Reviewing Officers, and the Independent Visitors Scheme. You will have a passion for promoting the welfare of children looked after ensuring the highest quality of service. The role will include effectively ensuring that the service provides an overview of how it has effectively represented children looked after to the Children and Families Senior Leadership Team, Corporate Parenting Board, and elected members.
For the Child Health and Disability (CHAD) post, there are three locality social work teams, the Regional Specialist Team and the Occupational Therapy Team. The CHAD social work teams work to the same statutory requirements as other social work teams. Each team undertakes assessments, safeguarding and care planning activities, and works directly with children who need help and protection and those subject to care proceedings. They also work with children who are looked after by the local authority.
The Regional Specialist Team, based in the hospital, provides emotional and practical support to children and young people with specific medical conditions, and their families. The Occupational Therapy (OT) Team covers the whole of Leeds and assesses the long-term needs of children, young people, and their parents and carers.
The Service Delivery Manager in CHAD works as part of a team of committed and experienced team managers and staff, within a challenging landscape for children with disabilities and complex needs. If you are an experienced manager with the drive and enthusiasm to lead this service, please get in touch.
You will be joining a highly motivated and committed Senior Leadership Team. Our vision is for Leeds to be the best city in the UK and the best city for children and young people to grow up in. Through our vision and obsessions, we invest in children and young people to help build an increasingly prosperous and successful city.
What we offer you
* a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
* membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
* flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
* a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
* a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing
How to apply
Please complete the online application form and clearly specify if you are applying for one of the area roles, the post in the Integrated Safeguarding Unit or the post in the Child Health and Disability team.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the area roles please contact Jade Lamb, Head of Service. Call 0113 3785704 or email jade.lamb@leeds.gov.uk.
In relation to the Integrated Safeguarding Unit post please contact Donna Williams, Head of Service. Call 0113 3785266 or email donna.williams@leeds.gov.uk.
In relation to the Child Health and Disability post please contact Hilary Suddes, Head of Service. Call 0113 3785585 or email hilary.suddes@leeds.gov.uk.
The closing date for application is Wednesday 6th November 2024 with a view to holding interviews Friday 15th November 2024.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK.
Job Description
Job purpose
Provide a key local leadership role for discrete teams of professional social work staff within a designated area to ensure the effective delivery of a high standard of social work centred around the needs of children and young people which ensures that statutory duties and responsibilities of the Local Authority are being met.
Working as part of the leadership team you will model values and behaviours to help to achieve our ambition to become the best city in the country, and aspiration shared across our partners to become a child friendly city.
* Support the active involvement of children and young people and families in how Children’s Services are delivered.
* Lead and drive area-based service improvement.
* Lead on the strategic and operational management of multi-agency approaches.
* Lead day-to-day service delivery and continuous development.
* Provide leadership on safeguarding.
* Ensure the service culture adopts an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory approach.
* Lead and manage the delivery of all services in specified service areas.
* Deliver better outcomes against professional standards.
* Provide direction and support to immediate line reports.
* Foster a climate of shared accountabilities, learning, and continuous improvement.
* Be a champion of Leeds aspiration and ambition to become a child friendly city.
* Ensure the effective management and implementation of robust performance management processes.
* Make a significant contribution to the directorate's goal to deliver ‘good’ or equivalent outcomes.
* Lead the development and implementation of local service plans.
* Ensure teams work collaboratively within local partnership arrangements.
* Build strong and dynamic local relationships and networks.
* Ensure all aspects of people management within the service.
* Deliver partnership working through integrated practice.
* Develop and promote services and practice improvements.
* Represent Senior Leadership Team as required.
* Be responsible and accountable for all financial resources within the service area.
* The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list.
Qualifications
Appropriate professional qualification (DipSW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent). You should be registered with Social Work England upon commencement of the post and maintain registration.
Working Context
Post holders will work flexibly both at home and at various locations across the City and region.
Essential requirements
* Able to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex problems.
* Able to demonstrate ability to make difficult decisions.
* Excellent communication skills.
* Able to employ a range of leadership styles.
* Able to demonstrate examples of managing services and achieving quality outcomes.
* Able to manage competing priorities.
* Demonstrate an understanding of relevant inspection regimes.
* Knowledge of local issues impacting upon the service.
* Demonstrate an understanding of the Child Friendly City concept.
* Experience and knowledge of working relationally and restoratively.
* Knowledge and understanding of using results-based accountability methodology.
* Knowledge of applicable legislation, regulations, policies, inspections, and performance information.
* Experience of senior leadership and management.
* Experience of strategic and operational resource management.
* Significant experience of leading change programmes.
* Significant experience and commitment in relation to engagement in decision-making processes.
* Substantial experience of delivering a multi-disciplinary service at a senior level.
* Experience of having led and managed professional social work teams.
* Significant experience of developing productive working relationships.
Behavioural & other Characteristics required.
* Committed to continuous improvement.
* Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
* Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all.
* Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism and harassment.
* Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equality and diversity.
* Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety.
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