Practice Manager - Children’s Social Care – Complex Safeguarding
Trafford Council
Trafford Borough Council | 1st Floor | Trafford Town Hall | Talbot Road, Stretford | M32 0TH
Salary Grade – Band 11 (£48,474 - £51,515)
Working Pattern – Full Time
Working hours – 36.25
Contract type – Permanent
Closing date – 31st May 2024
Interview date – w/c 10th June 2024
This is an exciting opportunity to lead and manage our Complex Safeguarding team within Trafford Children’s Social Care.
We are looking to recruit a Practice Manager who is committed to working beyond the objectives of traditional social care and who is invested in supporting a team of social workers and practitioners. In this role you will support and develop innovative and creative approaches to working with young people who are at risk of extra familial harm and their parents/carers, families and partners.
Trafford recognises that complex safeguarding is an approach to understanding and responding to young people’s experiences of extra familial harm. Our Complex Safeguarding service was established in 2019 and sits in Children’s Services, within the Vulnerable Adolescent Service.
We have two teams within this service:
·Our SHINE team, who work with young people who are known to be exploited or suspected and vulnerable to being exploited
·Our Missing from Home team who work hard to engage young people who have been missing
Our SHINE and Missing from Home teams are aligned and co-located with Trafford’s dedicated Police Complex Safeguarding team, which is based at Stretford Police Station. Our Complex Safeguarding service also has a dedicated nurse and trusted relationship psychologist, both of whom are an integral part of our team.
About Trafford Children’s Social Care
Here in Trafford Children’s Services our vision is that our teams are offering the right help at the right time, and that at all levels our interventions make life better for children and families. We are ambitious for our children and for our practitioners - and our core value is ‘would this be good enough for my child’?
We want to have practitioners and managers who are confident and brave in their practice and are supported by strong leaders at all levels. As a relatively small local authority, we pride ourselves on our friendly teams, manageable caseloads, creative approach and colleagues who support each other. We were pleased to see this recognised in the Ofsted report that followed our ILACS inspection in late 2022, which highlighted that “social workers in Trafford are overwhelmingly positive about both the local authority and the support they receive.”
In Trafford our approach is strengths-based, using relational and restorative practice. Our recent Ofsted report referred to our "relational model of social work practice, which is well regarded by the wider workforce, has been successfully implemented.”
We believe that a culture and environment in which our managers and social workers can thrive is an essential element of improving outcomes for children and families. To support this, we have invested in a 3-year programme with relational specialists Strengthening Practice to provide ongoing training and enhance our social workers’ personal development. Our 2023 Ofsted report recognised this, noting a “cultural shift (that) has been underpinned by a strong training offer to support social workers to develop the skills they need to provide a better service to children”.
About the Role
As a Practice Manager, you’ll ensure that a high-quality service is provided to children and families. You will take the lead role for the team, make management decisions and review, advise and give informed direction when required, ensuring that practice serves to continuously improve the quality of life outcomes for children and young people.
You will make sure that effective care planning takes place for all children and plans are reviewed within the required timescales. You will ensure effective financial and budget oversight.
You’ll also be able to demonstrate experience in managing and developing staff, alongside leadership abilities and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
You should have
1. At least 3 years’ post qualifying experience of social work
2. 2 years’ experience of providing professional supervision / line management in line with council policies. Detailed knowledge of key legislation, statutory guidance, regulations and frameworks in relation to children.
3. Detailed knowledge of relevant legislation and social policy issues; and of different approaches to social work practice, paying particular regard to relational and restorative approaches with children and their families
Would you like to find out more?