Job Description
3 Months Contract With A local Authority
Job Purpose
Are you passionate about best practice for children and families? Do you know what outstanding practice looks like and want to inspire others to achieve it? If so, we need you.
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Team Manager to join our Centre for Professional Practice (CPP) to drive change and promote best practice across Dudley children’s services. Working alongside the Service Improvement Lead, you will support frontline teams and practitioners to enhance the quality of practice and services for children and families.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and manage 2 Social Work Advanced Practitioners, supporting their development and ensuring the team drives high-quality practice improvement across Dudley.
* Provide operational leadership, vision, and direction to deliver service improvement initiatives within the CPP.
* Promote and contribute to strategic developments for children and families in Dudley.
* Ensure the team achieves its operational plan by fostering a positive culture, empowering others, and maintaining high, measurable standards of practice.
* Promoting effective internal and external communication by sharing practice development, learning, and local successes with practitioners, managers, leaders, and partners.
* Supporting the development and review of practice guidance, policies, and protocols to ensure practitioners and leaders have effective frameworks to work within.
* Leading and engaging in quality assurance and audit activities, including audits, critical reviews, and dip sampling across children’s services.
* Contributing to OFSTED and inspection readiness, supporting inspection activities, and preparing the service for evaluation.
* Supporting planning and co-production activities to ensure meaningful participation of children and families in service development.
* Providing regular supervision to Social Work Advanced Practitioners engaged in service improvement work.
Requirements
* Qualified Social Worker with current HCPC registration.
* Relevant management or leadership qualification (desirable, e.g., PQ in Leadership or equivalent).
* Extensive frontline experience in children’s social care, including working with vulnerable children and families.
* Proven experience in a management or leadership role, ideally in service improvement, practice development, or quality assurance.
* Experience leading and supervising staff, including social work practitioners or advanced practitioners.
* Demonstrable experience in driving service improvement initiatives and embedding best practice across teams.
* Experience in quality assurance, audit, or inspection preparation (OFSTED or equivalent) is highly desirable.
* Strong knowledge of child protection, safeguarding, and statutory frameworks in children’s services.
* Understanding of practice improvement frameworks, continuous professional development, and best practice models.
* Awareness of participation and co-production with children, young people, and families.
Additional Information
* Bi-Weekly Payments