Keeping Families Connected, One Kinship at a Time
Who we are & what we stand for
Do you want to help make Gateshead a place where everyone thrives? If that sounds like you, keep reading - we might be the perfect match.
We’re delighted that you’re interested in working with us. You’d be joining us at a very exciting time.
We pride ourselves on our ambitious and forward-thinking approach to taking care of Gateshead and its people, and we passionately believe that our employees reflect that spirit in truly enabling Gateshead to thrive.
At Gateshead Council you’d be a highly valued member of a team that recognises and respects the skills that you bring to your role, encourages creativity and passionately advocates a great work / life balance. Our actions speak louder than words, and with flexi-time and hybrid working available across many of our roles, as well as a full suite of outstanding employee benefits, we’re confident that it isn’t just the salary that attracts our staff.
Join us as a Kinship Care Team Manager
Our Children’s Social Care team work to provide and further develop services to children and families across Gateshead to offer a focused and joined up approach to offer young people the best possible start in life. This is incredibly important work and includes an excellent early help and prevention service, assessment, intervention and safeguarding supporting children and their families, services for children in and having experienced our care, our fostering, residential and adoption services, support for vulnerable adolescents & those with disabilities and many more. It can be challenging but very rewarding work, as we passionately pursue our goal of helping Gateshead children to thrive.
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-centered 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.”
Championing Kinship, Empowering Families.
We have a great opportunity for new Manager to join our award winning Kinship Team to support children to have stability and permanence with their extended family members or friends. We are driven to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people through the completion of high quality assessments and comprehensive support packages for our kinship carers, who are highly valued and well respected. We are looking for someone who is passionate about their work and has a real understanding of the needs of Kinship Carers and their children. We are looking for someone who can make sensible decisions in line with regulations and best practice, someone who is curious and knowledgeable about safeguarding and good care, and who is committed to helping children and families/friends to stay together.
Why Join Gateshead?
* We guarantee you will have
A senior leadership team that listens and care about you and your work.
* Your base in the same building as all social work teams, allowing support not just from your allocated team but all services.
* Hybrid working both working from the office base and home working
* A culture which takes pride in and actively celebrates social work.
* Excellent opportunities for career progression, whether you are a newly qualified social worker completing your assessment and supported year in employment with the support of our Social Work Academy, or a more experiences social worker looking to broaden your experience in order to step into management.
* A protected time employee induction scheme.
What you will do:
* Lead and manage the Kinship Care Team, driving performance and ensuring high-quality, timely assessments.
* Provide operational oversight and ensure best practice through robust quality assurance systems.
* Deliver reflective supervision that empowers practitioners with high support and high challenge.
* Champion continuous improvement and innovation to enhance outcomes for children and carers.
* Collaborate with the wider management team to meet service objectives.
* Promote effective inter-agency working and develop a long-term strategy for kinship care.
* Monitor budgets to ensure care plans are financially sound and meet children’s needs.
* Chair planning and strategy meetings and act as Agency Advisor to the Kinship Care Fostering/Permanence Panel.
* Prepare and present reports for various forums, including court proceedings.
* Manage safeguarding and risk within the team and deputise for the Practice Lead when required.
What you will bring:
* A Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
* Extensive experience in children’s social work, including child protection and children in care.
* Practising Children’s Social Work within statutory and legislative framework including Child Protection and Children in Care
* Proven ability to supervise and manage teams, with a focus on performance and development.
* Strong knowledge of fostering standards, child development, trauma, and systemic practice.
* Experience in conducting complex assessments and formulating risk-reduction plans.
* Financial management skills and the ability to deliver training and support groups.
* A proactive, customer-focused approach with excellent communication and leadership skills.
* A current driving licence and access to transport.
What’s in it for you
* Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience. Salary of £55,460 - £59,266 in inclusive of a 15% R&R allowance.
* Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don’t just offer a great salary we invest in your future too. Find out what benefits a Local Government Pension provides: https://twpf.info
* Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
* Flexible Working Hours: Benefit from up to 26 flexi days per year (subject to business needs), giving you more control over your time.
* Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
* Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
* Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
* Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
* Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to drive.
* Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more, helping you spread the cost of essential purchases.
Our commitment to you
We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. At Gateshead Council we are an employer who embraces, and welcomes diversity, who's truly inclusive and who demonstrates equality for all. We'll go the extra mile so that our approach is representative of the communities we serve and each other. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
How to apply
You can apply online using the apply now button below. Within the form, you’ll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications.
We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.
If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team via recruitment@gateshead.gov.uk
Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high-volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases, we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application.
Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.