Application Deadline: 18 March 2025
Department: Care
Location: Balerno, Edinburgh
Compensation: £49,229 - £56,516 / year
Description
Harmeny Education Trust is a charitable organisation providing therapeutic care and education to children who have experienced early years trauma through abuse, neglect and family disruption, referred from all over Scotland. We currently work with children and young people aged 5-18, both on a day and all-year-round residential basis.
Our core service, Harmeny School, comprises:
* An education service, which includes an outdoor learning team.
* A care service, with five residential cottages and one day service cottage. The service also includes a therapies manager coordinating evidence informed approaches for a variety of our staff.
* Support services, made up of finance, estates, catering and domestic services, fundraising, IT, HR, learning and development, and admin teams.
Harmeny is committed to achieving the highest possible standards of care and education and to continuously improving our work. We have recently developed a practice framework, The Harmeny Way, which describes the unique combination of therapeutic approaches used to guide our work and ensure consistent practice with children and young people placed with us.
We are seeking a Service Manager (Residential/Quality Assurance) to join our Care Management Team on a full-time employed basis. With the supervision and guidance of the Head of Care, the Service Manager will be responsible, alongside others in the Harmeny School Management Team (HSMT), for the effective leadership, management and development of our care services.
The post-holder will play a role in the strategic direction and growth of the organisation, working closely with the other members of the HSMT and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), to maintain Harmeny's sector-leading provision and develop new services.
The post-holder will lead on those aspects relating to the therapeutic care and developmental needs of our children, taking full account of policies and practices informed by getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) and Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), and encouraging the support of families and carers.
The post-holder will lead on and develop the Quality Assurance systems within the organisation in line with national guidelines and regulatory frameworks such as the Health and Social Care Standards.
The successful applicant will have a focus on one residential setting for 50% of their role, with the other 50% focus on quality assurance development.
The normal hours for this post are 39 hours per week, including work during evenings and weekends as part of on-call and general management duties. Additional hours may be required.
The salary for the post ranges from £49,229 to £56,516, depending on qualifications and experience.
Successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in line with the requirements for Residential Child Care Workers with Supervisory Responsibilities. A driving licence allowing the use of our vehicles is essential.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced practitioner to join a friendly organisation making a difference to the lives of remarkable children in Scotland. Harmeny is a values-led organisation and a good fit with our ethos is as important to us as having relevant experience.
Key Responsibilities
* Promote and support a positive ethos consistent with Harmeny's vision, Purpose and Core Values, with a particular emphasis on the therapeutic care and developmental needs of children and young people.
* Play a key role, alongside senior management colleagues, including active participation in Harmeny and community events, in encouraging the ongoing development and implementation of a 'therapeutic community approach', designed to ensure the wellbeing, equality and inclusion of each child/young person and member of staff.
* Implement SLT and HSMT decisions, consistent with the Harmeny Strategic Plan and regularly report progress to SLT.
* Lead on the development of quality assurance systems to ensure there is evaluative scrutiny and oversight of all aspects of the care provision within the service.
* Keep quality assurance documents up-to-date, and feedback to relevant parties to support and develop this side of the service in collaboration with the Care Management Team (CMT) and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).
* Lead on specific strategic developments as directed by SLT.
* Deputise for the Head of Care in their absence, as directed by a member of SLT.
* Provide management cover, where necessary.
* Promote and implement effective links between the care and education teams.
* Share responsibility for the day-to-day running and ongoing development of the organisation, alongside HSMT.
* Create and maintain a highly nurturing environment for children and young people, taking responsibility as delegated by the Head of Care, for managing resources of staff and finance to meet the physical, emotional and social needs of children.
* Act as a Child Protection Officer and be responsible for the care and welfare of children, young people and staff, reporting any safeguarding or health and safety issue immediately, in line with relevant Harmeny policies and procedures, national care and education standards and child protection guidelines.
* Oversee approaches which encourage positive behaviours from children and young people, including the use of diversion and de-escalation, and where required, as a last resort, to be capable of implementing physical intervention techniques in line with CALM training.
* Oversee the coordination of assessments, plans and interventions which meet the individual care, educational and therapeutic needs of children and young people, in line with national policies such as GIRFEC and CfE.
* Ensure that regular effective contact and consultation is maintained with parents, carers and professionals involved with the children and young people.
* Assist the Heads of Care and Education with referral, admission and transition processes for children and young people and liaison with all relevant external professionals regarding these.
* Ensure children and young people have 'a voice' regarding all aspects of their care and education.
* Ensure the highest possible standards of professional practice are maintained.
* Provide highly effective and supportive leadership and management for staff and external consultants, promoting a multidisciplinary approach to working with children, young people and their families.
* Initiate professional discussion, as appropriate, relating to theories, practice and research information on therapeutic approaches and their impact on the children and young people's care and learning.
* Support SLT with staff recruitment and deployment of staff, ensuring effective cover arrangements are in place when necessary.
* Ensure effective systems of line management, professional supervision and development of staff for whom they are responsible.
* Arrange regular meetings with staff and ensure effective systems of communication.
* Ensure, in conjunction with HSMT and SLT, that expectations in terms of policy and practice are clearly communicated to staff and to seek feedback from staff.
* Adhere to the requirements of the SSSC Codes of Practice.
* Take responsibility for post-registration training and learning, in line with SSSC registration requirements.
* Work with other management colleagues in the development and delivery of appropriate training.
* Engage fully in Harmeny's approach to supervision and appraisal, including undertaking individual supervision and an annual programme of continuing professional development, as agreed with the Head of Care.
* Provide daytime, evening and weekend leadership for the organisation, including involvement in the standby / on-call rota and sleep-in duties, as directed by the Head of Care.
* Ensure effective stewardship of Harmeny resources.
* Ensure that all recording systems and procedures are kept up to date, while bringing to the attention of the relevant SLT member any issues of concern at the earliest opportunity.
* Oversee the preparation of reports including pre-placement, Children's Hearing, LAC Review, resilience and transition reports, ensuring they are produced by the agreed dates, are of a professionally acceptable standard and that an appropriate contribution is made by children and young people.
* Undertake any other duties delegated by the Head of Care or other SLT member, which are consistent with the role of a Service Manager.
Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge and Experience
Essential
* A practice qualification in line with the SSSC requirements for Managers of Residential Childcare Services, or the ability to achieve this.
* SVQ in Leadership and Management for Care Services (LMCS) (Level 4) or an award in management that is certificated at, or above SCQF Level 8, or the ability to achieve either.
* Management experience within a care setting, with a comprehensive knowledge of children who are Looked After and Accommodated and have social, emotional and behavioural needs.
* Experience of implementing effective quality assurance procedures.
* Significant experience of residential child care, ideally within a multidisciplinary setting.
* Significant experience of leading, motivating and developing a team.
* Experience of handling competing priorities and a challenging workload within a highly pressurised working environment.
* Knowledge of child development, child care legislation, relevant policies and procedures related to children who are looked after and have complex additional support needs.
* Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
* Good organisational and administrative skills and computer literacy.
* A full driving licence and the ability to drive fleet vehicles and transport children as required.
Desirable
* Certificate in Child Welfare and Protection (SCQF Level 10).
* Accredited Practice Teacher / Educator for social work students.
* SVQ workplace assessor or verifier awards.
* Evidence of further training in therapeutic work with children and young people.
* An in-depth understanding of resilience theory.
* Experience of developing quality assurance systems.
* Experience of developing and delivering training.
* Experience of preparing and delivering reports to a Senior Leadership Team.
* Service development and project management skills.
Benefits
* A salary of £49,229 to £56,516, depending on qualifications and experience
* Sleep in allowance
* 35 days' holiday per year
* Pension scheme
* Policies and practices that promote health and wellbeing, including massage therapy, access to fitness equipment and a wellbeing space
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