We are pleased to have opportunities for Team Managers and aspiring Team Managers to join us at an exciting time as we shape the future of Family Help in Dorset.
You will play a central role in leading excellent practice, supporting confident and restorative social work, and making a lasting difference for children and families. Are you a reflective, values driven leader who is passionate supporting children? Are you committed to restorative, high support, high challenge practice and inspired by working in an Outstanding authority? If so, we would love to hear from you. Join us in building a system where children can thrive, practitioners are valued, and strong relationships are at the heart of everything we do.
We’re proud that Dorset Council is a rated Outstanding authority by Ofsted for our work with children, young people and families. This reflects our strong commitment to high quality, child centred practice and the positive culture we’ve built across our services.
Leading national change
The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme sets out a major national reform of family support and child protection in England, aiming to shift the system toward earlier, more joined up help for families.
Dorset was selected as a national Pathfinder local authority for the Families First for Children programme, placing us at the forefront of developing new ways of working with children, families, and communities. Now aligned with the national guidance: The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme Guide, we are bringing together a more blended model to support our families to receive the right support and intervention, at the right time.
Family Help Teams
As a Social Work Qualified Team Manager, you will manage a team consisting of an Assistant Team Manager, Social Workers and Family Workers, supporting the continuum of need from targeted early help, child in need right through to care proceedings and adoption.
We are bringing together our Family Help and Child Protection teams to support families in telling their story, only once, focusing on building and sustaining relationships with practitioners supporting them. Social Workers within the Family Help teams, support our children and families as one integrated team, supporting families from Targeted Early Help right through to care proceedings and adoption, promoting continuity and consistent relationships.
As part of the reforms, we are developing our multi-agency child protection teams. We are introducing Lead Child Protection Practitioners within the Multi‑Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) and you will work closely with these practitioners and the MACPT to support the needs of our children.
Our approach keeps families at the centre having redesigned child protection conferences to encourage genuine collaboration and reduce jargon. Our Lead Child Practitioners will also work directly with families, helping explain processes, build understanding, and maintain regular contact in readiness for Child Protection conferences and you will work collaboratively with the LCPP to provide clear leadership and drive positive outcomes for our children.
A culture of development
We take professional development seriously and have an extensive training offer, including motivational interviewing, restorative practice and strengths-based approaches. We also have a commitment to leadership training and have a leadership pathway for our managers to access.
What You Will Be Doing
We are looking to recruit experienced, dynamic, energetic and strengths-based Team Managers and aspiring Team Managers to lead and manage work with our children and families using and promoting a strengths-based and restorative approach. The successful applicant will have experience of managing Social Workers, Social Work Students and/or Family workers with experience of reflective supervision. You will be required to manage the intake of referrals from our Family Support and Advice Line (FSAAL) alongside the other Team Managers (on a rota) and will be working as part of a multi‑agency partnership to co‑ordinate and meet the needs of children and families.
The Social Workers who you will manage undertake Assessments, Child protection work, pre proceedings, Court work through to permanence, including adoption, if this is the plan. We are a high performing, motivated, enthusiastic and reflective authority, offering high support and high challenge. We work to a restorative Thrive model, with a focus on building trusting relationships, within which children and their families can thrive. We want Dorset to be the best place to grow up, where children are safe, receive high quality education and opportunities in line with their needs.
About You
* You will be an experienced leader and supervisor with experience of managing/supervising staff and performance.
* You will be strengths-based with excellent communication skills. Your communication style should be restorative demonstrating your ability to offer high support and high challenge.
* You will have experience in interpreting data and using this to drive performance and practice development.
* You have significant skills in building and maintaining relationships and commitment to multi agency working.
* You will have experience in reflective supervision and developing reflective practice to ensure robust and
See Person Specification For Qualifications, Experience And Skills.
Localities
Our Localities teams are Chesil (Weymouth & Portland), Dorchester & West (Office base: Dorchester), North (Office bases: Blandford and Sturminster Newton) and East & Purbeck (Office bases: Wareham & Ferndown). If you have a preference, please state this in your application.
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