Job Description
The postholder will be required to manage and develop Cala which is a residential childcare service in Moray. The postholder will lead and develop a team of skilled staff and together they will deliver a high standard of care to meet the needs of young people for whom they are responsible. They will be responsible for developing the Council’s policies and procedures in relation to residential provision for children and young people.
Responsibilities
To recruit, train and lead the team of staff.
To be directly responsible for the effective overall management of the residential service, the houses and the staff, providing leadership and management to ensure all standards of care and safety are met at all times.
To promote the safety, health, wellbeing and development, of the children and young people resident within the houses and those young people who have left the service but who require ongoing support and advice.
To participate in various Children, Families & Justice Social Work operational groups, audit performance and need and influence and make recommendations relating to current and future service provision and developments.
The Individual
Considerable post qualifying experience in residential care for children aged 12-18 years.
Experience of supervisory / management responsibilities, within residential care for children.
Experience of project, service and team monitoring, evaluation and development.
Experience of multiagency working.
Experience of assessing need and risk in child care practice.
Experience of monitoring and evaluating services.
Experience of budget management.
Health and Safety legislation with regard to the management of residential care for Looked After Children.
Knowledge of National Minimum Care Standards.
Experience of Inspections.
HNC / SVQ III or equivalent.
Ability to provide purposeful leadership in team and multiagency environments.
Effective analytical and evaluative abilities and clear thinking.
Capacity to develop and manage change.
An expansive professional outlook.
Experience in chairing meetings.
IT literate and willing to undertake further training as required.
Ability to manage training and development within houses for all staff.
Ability to develop services and projects and work within budget.
Ability to consider services in structural and organisational terms.
Ability to produce reports/policies and procedures within legislation and departmental guidelines to enable the houses to function well.
Effective utilisation of financial and human resources.
A strong sense of professional identify and the role of residential care and social work in placement services.
Sound knowledge of social work theory and research and an ability to relate this to the management of residential care for children within placement services.
Ability to liaise, plan and negotiate effectively at a senior level and across agency boundaries.
A commitment to deliver quality services for not less than National standards for residential care.
Ability to ensure regular structured supervision is provided for all staff working in the houses.
You will be expected to travel efficiently and effectively between various work locations within Moray to meet the operational requirements of the Service. Due to the rural nature of Moray this is normally undertaken by use of a car/van.
Effective communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
Capacity to make decisions under pressure.
Appreciation, acceptance of and a commitment to the importance of confidentiality.
Ability to form productive and enabling working relationships.
Willingness to work outside office hours, be part of the on-call rota and on occasion undertake sleep in duty.
Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
This post is considered to be a ‘Regulated Role’ under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act. Under the Act it is a legal requirement for an individual undertaking a regulated role with children or protected adults to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.
Therefore the successful candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update check prior to any formal offer of employment being made by Moray Council.
Closing date: 12 September
Starting salary: £51,.60
37 hours per week
£26.90 per hour
For further information, please contact Carl Campbell on