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1. Job outline and Purpose of roleThis role requires team managers to meet all the fundamental professional standards... Read more

1. Job outline and Purpose of roleThis role requires team managers to meet all the fundamental professional standards as set out by Social Work England and ensure that the protection of children is adhered to ensure that children and young people are safe and their outcomes enhanced. The main duties and key responsibilities of this role is commensurate across Children's Services applying the skills and competencies in different areas across the service.2. Purpose of RoleThe Team Leader will support and enable their team to build purposeful and meaningful relationships with families and protect children who are at risk of harm.3. Main Duties and Key Responsibilities Ensure statutory childcare duties are met, national minimum standards and regulations are complied with, high standards of recognised professional practice are delivered, and operational staff and supervisors work effectively with partners from other agencies to support individual children and families and improve their life chances.To provide professional leadership, decision making advice, supervision and support of social workers and ensure appropriate decision making in line with delegated responsibilities.Ensure there is an effective duty system (where appropriate) within the team.Deliver the area of responsibility assigned to the postholder through the effective deployment of staff and other resources to meet the standards required and ensure children and young people have a positive experience in the care system and successful outcomes.To implement the Council's policies in relation to HR issues including equalities, discrimination and harassment and health & safety.Manage and supervise a team of staff, being responsible for the appropriate allocation of work and promotion of a manageable workload including an expectation that all staff undertake a caseload and project work (eg group work, consultation, student supervision as required), utilising a range of interventions.Ensure regular staff supervision and performance appraisal, coaching and facilitation to enable staff to work effectively.Work with the Principal Social Worker to manage recruitment, retention and selection of staff, foster carers and adopters, ensuring a high quality staff group and carers through appropriate training and development.Promote good attendance and conduct within the service and compliance with professional codes of practice and information security, confidentiality and accurate record keeping.To manage delegated budget within agreed financial limits and authorise, monitor and control expenditure of team budget in order to ensure effective provision of service.To prioritise and monitor workload to ensure the appropriate levels of service provision by staff in order to make the best use of resources available.To assist in developing, implementing and auditing the quality of services and performance managing staff to ensure effective and efficient service provision.To ensure that the team contributes effectively to safeguarding children and young people by following the Working Together Guidance, all relevant legislation and implementing government recommendations in line with NSC strategic direction and vision.To investigate complaints, disciplinary allegations as required in conjunction with departmental or corporate guidelines and legal requirements, ensuring the appropriate senior managers are kept informed, where necessary.Understand the delivery of Children's Services in North Somerset and promote the use of Early Help across all partner agencies. To continually monitor and improve services ensuring that they embed new ways of working in line with research, developments and evidence based good practice; to extend the knowledge base of professionals within the team and to make improvements to service delivery.To work in partnership with the Police and other agencies to ensure investigations are completed within statutory timescales and to provide professional advice and guidance to service users and partner agencies thus ensuring effective triage of, and response to, referrals from the public and other agencies.To chair strategy discussions and legal planning meetings as may be required in respect of child protection matters, where children may need to come into care, or proceedings need to be initiated.To lead preparation for and response to the all areas of inspection standards.To ensure close working relationships with the provider of the call handling service , offering professional advice and support to the service managers to ensure effective service delivery and first contact information gathering and appropriate response to need at the first point of contact.Ensure children and young people and carers are actively involved in the assessment of their needs, service delivery and review, gathering user feedback on the effectiveness of services delivered and use this information to support service improvement.Attend North Somerset's Performance Monitoring Board or such forums as required to maintain standards.5. GENERALThis job description is not a complete list of duties but gives a general indication of the range of work undertaken. It will vary over time as demands and priorities change. The management team structures within Childrens' Services operate with a high degree of collaboration and flexibility, and post holders are expected to undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of the post.PERSON SPECIFICATIONDIRECTORATEChildren's ServicesSECTIONFamily Support & Safeguarding / Corporate Parenting / Front DoorJOB TITLETeam Manager GRADE Level 11 QUALIFICATIONS - ESSENTIAL AND EVIDENCEDRegistered as a social worker with Social Work England.Social Work Qualification, ie Social Work Degree or Diploma in Social Work.Achieved or commitment to study for a specialist PQ award or equivalentKNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE - ESSENTIALSocial Work qualification, ie social work degree, management qualification NVQ level 4 or working towards level 4 and 5 years post qualifying experience as a social worker.An approved professional qualification relevant to the area of work to give approved Social Work England registration, and practical experience of working with service user groups giving rise to a variety of technical skills and thorough understanding of the principles of the services available, work practices and processes.Specialist knowledge of childcare across the range of work procedures and practices underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience.Knowledge of National Minimum Standards for all areas of the service.Significant post qualification experience in relevant work area to give knowledge and understanding equivalent to a further advanced qualification in the service area, especially in management and leadership.Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding protocols and the threshold levels for service user groups to make decisions about service needs.Demonstrate an ability to lead and manage staff through significant changes, an ability to motivate and lead staff and an ability to supervise/appraise.Ability to engage with service users and partner agencies within the relevant codes of practice values (dignity, respect etc).Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone and in writing.Experience in service development and embedding improvements into work methodologies and evaluating their impact.Ability to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information.Ability to plan and chair meetings.Practical experience in service delivery and in leading and managing others to deliver the service.Knowledge and experience of managing budgets, resourcing and contractsAbility to manage/organise own work and that of a team to meet agreed deadlinesUnderstanding and recognition of professional boundariesCOMPETENCIESTeam Working ~ Develops team members and encourages and empowers others, delegates work to get the best from the teamService user/ outcome focused ~ sets challenging goals for self and others to achieve and improve service deliveryProblem solving & judgment ~ facilitates others to solve problems, breaks down complex issues into manageable parts and thinks through the implications of decisionsPlanning & Organising ~ makes business plans to determine the work for self and others to meet the objectives of the serviceBusiness Awareness ~ Understands the contribution the service makes to the organisation and partner agencies, thinks outside own area to appreciate the aims of other services.Leadership Standards ~ demonstrates the behaviours set out in the council's leadership standards.PERFORMANCE MEASURESQuantifiable objectives ~ e.g. team performance, impact evaluation of service delivery, quality of records, etc Feedback from service users, colleagues and partner agencies Key Performance Indicators (where available) Line manager assessment 360 feedback from staff and colleagues Performance of the team Caritas Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. 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Locum Social Worker - Kinship Fostering Team Location: North Somerset Pay Rate: £36 per hourAre you an experienced... Read more

Locum Social Worker - Kinship Fostering Team Location: North Somerset Pay Rate: £36 per hourAre you an experienced and passionate Social Worker looking for a rewarding locum opportunity? Our client, a well-established fostering team in North Somerset, is seeking a dedicated Locum Social Worker to join their Kinship Fostering Team.Key Responsibilities:Undertake comprehensive kinship assessments and viability assessments.Support and supervise kinship carers to ensure the best outcomes for children.Work closely with families, foster carers, and multi-agency teams to provide holistic support.Contribute to care planning, permanency planning, and court reports as required.Ensure compliance with fostering regulations, policies, and statutory guidance.Requirements:Qualified Social Worker with Social Work England registration.Proven experience within fostering, kinship care, or children's services.Strong assessment, analytical, and report-writing skills.Ability to work independently and as part of a team.Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and best practices.Benefits:Competitive hourly rate of £36ph.Flexible working arrangements.Supportive and collaborative team environment.Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children and families.If you are a motivated and skilled Social Worker looking for your next locum role, we want to hear from you!Apply today to join a dedicated team making a real difference in the lives of children and kinship carers.Please contact Gemma Bridgman at Caritas on 0 7 3 8 4 5 2 5 2 8 7 or email g.bridgman @ caritas-recruitment.com for details Caritas Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. Read less

Job Summary:We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Qualified Children's Social Worker to join our Family Service Team.... Read more

Job Summary:We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Qualified Children's Social Worker to join our Family Service Team. This role involves providing high-quality support to children and families, ensuring safeguarding and promoting positive outcomes for children in need. The successful candidate will work within statutory guidelines and best practice frameworks to support families and improve the well-being of children.Key Responsibilities:Assessments & Interventions: Conduct thorough assessments of children and families, including Child in Need (CIN), Child Protection (CP), and Looked After Children (LAC) cases.Safeguarding & Risk Management: Identify and manage risks to children, ensuring timely intervention and effective multi-agency collaboration.Care Planning: Develop and implement child-centred care and support plans in line with UK legislation and local authority policies.Court Work: Prepare high-quality reports and provide evidence in family court proceedings when necessary.Multi-Agency Working: Work closely with schools, health professionals, police, and other stakeholders to ensure coordinated and effective support for families.Direct Work with Children & Families: Engage with children and families through home visits and structured interventions, ensuring the voice of the child is central to decision-making.Compliance & Record Keeping: Maintain accurate and timely case records in accordance with legal and organisational requirements.Essential Requirements:Social Work Qualification: Degree in Social Work (BA, MA, or equivalent) and registration with Social Work England.Experience: Minimum of [Insert Number] years of post-qualification experience in children's services, particularly in child protection and family support.Knowledge of Legislation & Policies: Strong understanding of UK children's legislation, including the Children Act 1989/2004, Working Together to Safeguard Children, and relevant statutory guidance.Skills: Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complex caseloads.IT Competency: Proficiency in using case management systems and digital tools for record-keeping.Driving Licence: A valid UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes (if required).Desirable:Additional training in systemic practice, Signs of Safety, or trauma-informed approaches.Experience in court work and public law proceedings.Knowledge of local authority processes and multi-agency working.To operate as a social work professional within the Community Family Service team, providing a professional social work service to children and families as part of the Total Family Approach.Social workers will undertake assessment, planning, intervention and review (APIR) in a range of children in need cases, including child protection, care proceedings and looked after children cases. They will work collaboratively with other professionals, co-ordinating or contributing to the team around the family, in order to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to improving outcomes for children, young people and their families, particularly safeguarding children and young people.Social workers will hold approximately 15 total family cases. They act as a link professional, providing advice and consultancy to Children�s Centre, schools and other settings, in line with the Children Act 1989 and 2004.Social workers will maintain accurate, up-to-date child records in compliance with the re-launched Integrated Children�s System.Social workers will continuously improve their practice by developing their knowledge and skills through post qualifying training. The post will participate in high quality supervision that achieves an appropriate balance between reflective practice and accountability for performance/standards. They take part in rigorous self evaluation through annual appraisal and half year reviews.This job description provides the core job description for all children�s social workers. Specialism�s will be reflected in appropriate addendums.This post is required to work closely with multi agency partners to ensure that services fit together; avoid duplication and meet the requirements of the Children Act 1989 and 2004, and other relevant statutory legislation. They must be registered to practice with the HCPC under the terms of the code of conduct for social Caritas Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. Read less