Practice Leader

Practice Lead, Innovation, Transformation and Partnership lead for vulnerable adolescents
Salary £61,987 - £65,906 (which includes a 25% recruitment and retention payment)

We are looking to appoint a key member of the management team within our Children Social Care and Early Help Service.
As the Practice Leader with lead portfolio areas for innovation and transformational activity across Children Social Care, Early Help and Youth Justice Services, you will work across Children Social Care and Early Help as well as the wider partnership and the council to lead on reviewing service delivery and ways of working, integrating services within the wider partnership to create intervention offers using a change management approach.
You will hold leadership responsibility for reviewing service delivery and implementing new systems and processes to ensure care provisions and interventions are identified for vulnerable adolescents at the earliest opportunity and at the lowest cost. You will be accountable for designing a core offer to all young people with identified reunification plans to ensure a smooth moving on plan and that rehabilitation is maintained until young people are ready for independence.
You will have responsibility for delivering the Trauma Informed Service, redesigning the Edge of Care service and designing a comprehensive edge of care intervention practice model which will be implemented across Early Help, Youth Justice and Children’s Social Care. You will be responsible for integrating the delivery model across the wider partnerships including police, mental health teams, 0-19services and drug and alcohol services.
You must be able to provide effective strategic leadership, planning and robust performance management and oversight for these areas whilst promoting a culture which values learning, reflection and acceptance of accountability to ensure the continuous development and improvement of the service.
The role will be challenging but very rewarding and you must have effective people management, performance management and quality assurance within a children’s services setting to ensure the focus is always on achieving better outcomes for children, young people and their families with the provision of the highest possible professional standards of social work.
You must have a sound knowledge of Children’s legislation, practice and procedure, and safeguarding and regulatory frameworks. You must be adept at multi agency / partnership working and have a clear commitment to equal opportunities and anti-oppressive practice.
As this a key managerial post you will have experience of successfully planning for and contributing to Ofsted inspection and have highly developed verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare complex reports.
As an employee of Gateshead Council you will benefit from:

- Great transport links with the use of reliable and frequent public transport and have access to a discounted Annual Pass. You will also have use of Co-wheel pool cars and access to the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme
- A generous annual leave package. You will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 10 days extra leave via our Annual Leave Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
- Access to the flexi scheme which will allow you to work a 9 day fortnight
- Being a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Eligibility to access a range of other staff offers and discounts such as:

- Reduced rate membership for GO Gateshead Leisure Services
- Health Shield which provides a wide range of innovative products that help to improve long-term health and wellbeing via a health care plan.
- O2 open discount scheme
- Virgin Media partner discount scheme
- Dell Advantage discount programme
We are an Ofsted “Good” rated local authority and in a recent Focussed Visit in September 2021, inspectors told us:
“Gateshead's highly skilled, committed and caring social workers and their managers in the front door teams provide sensitive, innovative child-centred help and protection to most children seen during the visit. Continuously strong, ambitious and effective senior leadership has resulted in sustained improvements.
Closely aligned, mature professional partnerships work together effectively to safeguard children from harm.
There is consistent and commendable evidence of continuous innovation and improvement during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Senior leaders are fittingly proud of their staff's commitment and determination throughout this period to see vulnerable children and their families face to face.
Staff report that they feel valued in their work and professional development and that their personal well-being is prioritised.”

For further information regarding what Gateshead can offer you please log onto Careers in children's social work - Gateshead Council