Job Information
Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us .
Short Breaks Team Leader (Kingston)
We're proud to announce that AfC's Children's Services in Richmond have been awarded an Outstanding rating by Ofsted. This places Richmond alongside Kingston, which also holds an Outstanding rating, as a top-performing service. Our separately inspected Fostering Service has achieved a strong ‘Good’ rating, recognising our skilled and dedicated fostering workforce.
Come work with a skilled, stable workforce and be part of an organization that's truly making a difference.
The team provides a variety of Short Break Services for Children with Special educational needs and Disabilities including 1:1 support, Holiday, Weekend and After School Clubs, and overnight Short Breaks at Rainbow House. We also provide a direct payment package where the parent can arrange their own support. The team consists of substantive posts and a large sessional workforce. We also commission voluntary sector Providers to deliver additional out of school services (Aiming High). The Short Break service actively promotes inclusion; within the team there is an Inclusion service providing support and advice for mainstream providers to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, and we also provide a Family Link service. Short Breaks is a key part of the Integrated Services offer encompassing Health, Social Care and Short Breaks.
Operational area Kingston and Richmond Primary place of work Moor Lane, KT9 Work Setting On Site Appointment type Permanent Business area Health Services Full time/Part time Full-time Salary from £45,750 (SCP32) Salary to £49,056 (SCP35) Hours 36 Estimated Interview date/s TBC Closing Date 08/05/2026 Ref No 2198 Documents
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About the role
The Team Leader will oversee a range of specialist holidays activities, weekend clubs, after school and individual support. Ensuring the planning and delivery of the service is conducted in a timely collaborative way, to meet the needs of the children and young people. Contribute to monitoring the budgets for the service in line with service priorities, review the data and evaluate the impact, identifying budget pressures.
The role includes the management of permanent staff within the service, providing regular supervision and annual appraisals in line with Achieving for Children’s policies and procedures. For disabled children and young people, ensuring compliance with Ofsted and CQC guidance. It is essential to work closely with other managers within AfC ensuring clear communication and processes are in place. Attendance at meetings will be required both in person and online. The Short Breaks Team Leader will work in partnership with other teams including the Social Care Team, Inclusion Officers and the Voluntary sector.
It is important to build relationships with parents and carers and maintain a database of each young person’s support package. Contribute to the collection of parents, carers and young people's views of the service regularly. Being an active part of the recruitment process for the sessional workers is required. Alongside development and training for the team which may include being flexible to be available in the evenings and weekends. To maintain a database for all sessional staff, detailing training and supervision information. Maintain an optimum number of sessional staff with a range of skills and experience to meet the identified needs of disabled children and young people accessing the service. Undertake other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post that may reasonably be required.
For further information or to have an informal chat please feel free to contact Heidi Mansfield at or alternatively on 07733 084426
About you
2. Management qualification (or willing to work towards one) and experience in leading a team, undertaking line management, performance management and change management and experience of delivering training to staff.
3. Relevant childcare qualification (NNEB, NVQ level 3, degree) and other relevant health or social care qualifications.
4. Knowledge of CQC and Ofsted requirements that informs practice delivery.
5. Experience of building strong partnerships, maintaining relationships and co-producing solutions to challenges across a diverse set of stakeholders, including children, young people with disabilities and their families. Advocating the voices of those we are working with.
6. Proven ability to effectively use data, intelligence and evidence to create meaningful insight and to inform own decision making.
7. Experience of keeping and maintaining records (in accordance with local policy) and producing accurate reports, presentations, and written updates to a range of stakeholders (which may include families, children or young people).
8. Advanced Knowledge of statutory legislation (for example Children’s Act, Early Years) and national policy drivers that will affect children’s services and your role.
9. Direct experience of leading commissioning of services for children and families and the ability to chair meetings, alongside strong budget management skills and experience.
10. Significant experience of addressing specific equality or diversity issues within your practice with colleagues/service users and taking action to solve them.
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
11. 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
12. Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
13. Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
14. Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
15. A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
16. A range of staff benefits and discounts
17. An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children. For our social work offer. For our Recruitment Journey,
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.