Team Manager

About the Role

“We keep striving for excellence for our children and young people.”

Barking and Dagenham Council is committed to delivering outstanding outcomes for children, young people, families and carers across the borough. Working in one of London’s most deprived areas, we recognise the challenges faced by our community and are determined to ensure the right support is provided at the right time so that children are safe, happy and able to thrive.

We are currently seeking an experienced Team Manager to join our Children & Young People with Disabilities (CYPD) Social Work Team.

The CYPD team plays a vital role in supporting children in need, children subject to child protection plans, and families involved in care proceedings. The service focuses on providing robust packages of care to enable children to remain safely within their families wherever possible, while also achieving permanency when required.

You will work closely with the Short Breaks Team and CYPD Hub to ensure continuity of support once statutory social work intervention ends. The service benefits from a stable, permanent workforce, manageable caseloads, and strong multi-agency partnerships with health and education colleagues. Practice is underpinned by the council’s CARES relational practice model, placing kindness, compassion and the child’s lived experience at the centre of all decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

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Operational management and supervision of a team of social workers

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Oversight of work with children with disabilities, including CIN, CP and care proceedings

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Ensuring high-quality assessments, care planning and safeguarding practice

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Delivering reflective supervision and supporting staff development

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Monitoring performance and ensuring statutory timescales and targets are met

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Working collaboratively with internal and external partners to deliver effective, joined-up services

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Promoting value for money through effective use of local resources

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Driving excellent social work practice and continuous service improvement

About You

You will be an experienced Social Work Team Manager with a strong background in working with children and young people with disabilities. You will be confident managing competing priorities in a busy environment and able to present information clearly to senior leaders.

You will also demonstrate:

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In-depth knowledge of safeguarding and the specific risks faced by children with complex needs

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Experience of devising and implementing care and support plans focused on the child’s lived experience

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Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

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Confidence working within a multi-agency environment

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A commitment to relational, child-centred practice

Requirements

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Social Work qualification (Degree or equivalent)

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Current Social Work England registration

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Significant post-qualifying experience within children’s services

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This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and full pre-employment screening

What’s on Offer

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Competitive salary

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£2,500 Recruitment & Retention Allowance

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Generous pension and relocation package

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Annual leave of up to 30 days

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Clear career progression opportunities

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Ongoing investment in learning and professional development

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Strong focus on staff wellbeing and supportive management culture

Interested?

If you’re looking to join an authority where social workers are genuinely valued and supported to do their best work, we’d love to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion or to apply, please get in touch today