Team Manager – Leaving and Aftercare, South Essex

Team Manager - Leaving and Aftercare, South Essex

Permanent, Full Time

£52,428 to £64,950 per annum

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 19th March 2025 (23:59)

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years

Our children and families service are prioritising Race as an area of focus. Find out more in our anti-racist practice strategy.

Leaving & After Care Teams

Leaving & Aftercare Teams concentrate on good outcomes for young people aged 16-25 who are in – or have left – care.

The Leaving and After Care Service consists of multi-disciplinary teams, that are made up of mental health coordinators, social workers, personal advisers, employability workers and targeted youth advisors.

The Opportunity

A major focus for this role will involve supporting Personal Advisers managing cases of separated migrants and coordinate with partners to provide essential services for asylum seekers, including housing, employment, education, immigration support, and mental health services.

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Team Manager leads the team, developing and promoting capabilities and holding them accountable for performance and delivering improvements. Working with the Service Manager, contributing to the development of strategy and ensuring a service which adapts responsively to change.

With proven ability to focus on results, develop innovative solutions and build strong working relationships, this leader will possess a deep understanding of working in a challenging social and financial environment.

Organisational Accountabilities

Roles at this level will be focused on delivering results in a specific functional area. They will hold expertise on the application of policy and improvement of service delivery. These roles have clear team budgets and targets set within the overall service requirements. The role is accountable for:

• Operational planning and performance review to maintain exceptional service delivery and ensure the political objectives and priorities of the council are met.
• Working collaboratively within and across functions and thinking commercially to support the delivery of best possible outcomes for our customers on a financially sustainable basis.
• Maintaining and nurturing collaborative relationships with other teams in the function and external organisations that support the delivery of annual plans.
• Implementing changes and continually evaluating service to improve the area of work, while maintaining the highest possible levels of service quality.
• Managing complex issues and resources to meet the needs of customers and deliver the best possible outcomes.
• Effective utilisation of digital technologies and innovation across the council and with stakeholders and partners.
• Ensuring equality and diversity is celebrated and considered as part of all decisions taken.
• Using professional expertise to translate goals and plans into ways of working that comply with relevant legislation and statutory requirements and manage a level of appropriate risk.
• Managing the delivery of exemplar customer interactions to individuals and communities which support the management of strong relationships and a reputation for achieving outcomes and resolving issues.

Accountabilities

• Lead a team of social workers and other personnel to deliver a high quality professional service with positive outcomes.
• Accountable for individual performance, quality assurance, resources and budgets.
• Accountable for practice and performance within the team, providing professional and practice supervision, using available tools to address underperformance and coaching to enhance the quality of the practice.
• Responsible for development of individuals to maximise the capability and performance across the team.
• Responsible for the oversight and quality assurance of a range of social work reports, Pathway Plans, and Reviews.
• Responsible for responding to complaints and other feedback from service users in accordance with policy and in a way that fosters positive relationships.
• Lead inter-agency collaborative working, where a social work perspective is used to inform and drive decision making. Establishing and developing effective approaches to integrated working with partners, communities and the voluntary sector, to achieve successful outcomes for service users.
• Develop the training and tactical service delivery plan for the team.
• Use expertise and professional knowledge to provide advice and guidance for complex cases in line with legislative and organisational standards.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

A recognised social work qualification i.e. Diploma, degree or Masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with Social Work England as a registered social worker.

• Evidence of continuing professional development, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• Significant experience within a Social Care setting with evidence of challenging social and family situations.
• Experience of supervision of Social Work students and/or newly qualified Social Workers, possessing strong leadership and behavioural skills, with the ability to forge a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds, to deliver local objectives and work to required professional standards.
• Experience of working within a complex environment and leading change to ensure the Council delivers best practice.
• Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and offer a supportive framework for children and their families.
• Recognise the financial implications of care packages commissioned.
• Evidence of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.