Head of Conferencing

Job Information

Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us

We are responsible for the entire range of children’s education, health and social care services in all three boroughs. We use a Signs of Safety practice model and approach which ensures the voice of the child is at the heart of everything we do. There’s never been a better time to join AfC, we are growing our workforce, implementing new flexible working arrangements and have increased our virtual wellbeing offer.

The Head of Conferencing will manage the conference service working across Kingston and Richmond. You will manage a team and undertake a full range of people management activities that may include activities including recruitment, induction, performance management, training and development, supervisions and managing absences.

About the role

Alongside your people management responsibilities, other core activities will deliver success including maintaining relationships with partner agencies, to create and share quality assurance findings and performance information and develop intelligence about unmet needs, future demands and service effectiveness. This includes developing effective partnership approaches to child protection arrangements and services to looked-after children through the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and Corporate Parenting Group.

The Head of Conferencing role will also include the below activities:

- Actively contribute to local Performance Boards to support the robust internal scrutiny of performance information and quality assurance activity, and identify appropriate actions to consolidate and improve performance.
- Actively support the organisation’s work to prepare for external inspections, including those for child protection arrangements, services for looked-after children and care leavers, the Local Safeguarding Children Board and youth offending services.
- Maintain a strong performance management culture across the section, ensuring clear and measurable targets are set and that these are discussed and reviewed regularly in order to continually drive improvement.
- Provide leadership oversight to cover absences across the Conferencing Service and the AD on occasions.

About you

To be the Head of Conferencing, you will be passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people as well as demonstrating the following points:

- Educated to a degree level with a relevant professional qualification in social work.
- Active Social Work England registration and proven evidence of continuing professional development.
- Skills and experience of managing people related activities including recruitment, induction, performance management, supervisions, training and development within Children's Services.
- Experience of chairing complex multi agency and multi-professional meetings.
- Experience of building strong partnerships, maintaining relationships and co-producing solutions to challenges across a diverse set of stakeholders, including children, young people and their families. Advocating the voices of those we are working with.
- Experience of constructively challenging casework and resolving issues using effective dispute resolution processes.
- Experience of using quality assurance frameworks and systems to monitor and review the effectiveness of services.

About our benefits

We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:

- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years.
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Stable and supportive leadership
- Hybrid and mobile working (between home and work) with latest technology to facilitate this
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway

To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children

Important Information

**Right to work**: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.

**Safeguarding**: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young