Team Manager - Assessment & Support Team

• As first line manager, strategically and operationally lead the initial assessment and high risk decision making about referrals of children requiring a range of social work interventions including those in need of immediate care and protection.
• Ensuring effective information gathering by the team to enable professional decision making within set timescales.
• Lead on the communication and coordination of a multi-agency response to high profile or high risk and complex situations involving children, young people and families, Involving, advising and assisting senior stakeholders within CYPES, Government Ministers and the communications team as required to provide accurate and timely information in the event of media interest.
• Appraise and monitor the performance of the team, which includes senior practitioners, social workers, family support workers and administrative personnel in order to achieve optimum outcomes for children, young people and their families within defined and agreed budgets.
• Develop strategies and staff guidance to ensure standards of practice and care are delivered. Identify individual staff training and development needs as well as developing an annual team business and training plan in line with CYPES and strategic plans.
• Overall responsibility to ensure co-ordinated quality assurance and performance management activity is undertaken including maintaining systems and databases, auditing case records and reports produced by senior practitioners, social workers and family support workers to ensure that they are clear and accurate as required by established procedures and best practice.
• Develop strategies and guidance and provide specialist expertise and oversight to all staff, colleagues and stakeholders to ensure the robust assessment, care planning and review of children, young people and families needs on a day to day basis and high standards of practice and care for vulnerable individuals, their families and carers.
• Establish policies, procedures and professional practices in line with statutory requirements, and implement practice development and staff training courses, to ensure that all staff are aware of their individual responsibilities in line with Social Work England code of practice.
• Directly supervise senior practitioner staff and provide general professional supervision and support to the wider team with particular regard to professional practice and standards across all aspects of the service, in order to ensure the highest standards of care for service users and their families/carers.
• Develop and maintain an effective communication network, liaising with the people who use our services, their carers, appropriate professionals and professional groupings, to ensure that they are all aware of the relevant referral procedures and the range of services and resources available, and to develop and manage effective joint working protocols across agency and professional boundaries.

• A Social Work Qualification or equivalent.
• Understanding of relevant legislation.
• Registered or eligible for registration.
• Proven experience within management.

Sanctuary Personnel