Locality Team Manager for Disabled Childrens Services, Skipton

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job context

The post is based within the Inclusion Service to ensure close collaborative working with the SEND teams. However, close working relationships across wider Children and Families service is a requirement within the role

This role will involve working in an integrated way with key internal and external partners to ensure that the assessed needs of children and young people and their parents are met and there is collective responsibility for outcomes and resources required.

A DBS check is required.

Job purpose

To lead and manage a team of social workers in a locality area who are responsible for a caseload of families with disabled children to ensure their needs are assessed and they receive an appropriate plan of support to meet need.

To ensure high performance in terms of practice, assessment, review and resource management.

Operational Management:

To ensure high performance of social workers through regular supervision, professional development and observations of practice

To ensure safeguarding practice across the team and ensure manager oversight of child protection, safeguarding issues and families at risk of crisis

To ensure that assessments of need are high quality, reflect family context and the impact of the childs disability

To ensure that the team performs highly against key performance indicators and standards and embraces the vision and values of the wider childrens social care workforce in NYC

To ensure high quality assessment and outcome information as part of the statutory EHC process and participates in annual reviews and transition planning.

To ensure responses to meeting assessed needs of families are proportionate, cost effective and regularly reviewed

To ensure that the quality and development of the service area is informed by feedback from parents/carers, children and wider stakeholders

To attend or chair planning, placement or review meetings and promote multi-disciplinary approaches

Resource management:

Lead and manage a group of team managers including responsibility for their recruitment, development, appraisal, attendance management, grievance/discipline/capability issues etc.

To be responsible for the staffing and commissioning budget for the locality and to take corrective action to address pressures on the budget

To ensure continuing care assessments are carried out for identified children to ensure appropriate health contributions, escalating as necessary to review the decision

To ensure regular review of funding allocations for individual families as needs change and ensure consistency of decision making across social workers in the team

To ensure plans to support families and children with disabilities are cost effective and proportionate

To take responsibility for the performance of the team and manage the overall work of a Childrens Social Care team, taking responsibility for decision making, professional judgements and delegation as appropriate.

To ensure staff in the team are clear about what is expected of them, are kept informed about their performance and enabled to develop the necessary skills and knowledge through supervision, appraisal and development opportunities.

Be accountable for service delivery outcomes in your area of responsibility.

Chair panels regarding complex staff issues

Drive continuous performance improvement

Partnerships:

To actively promote inter agency working, planning and developing services with schools, health, other LA services and the voluntary sector

To provide professional advice to colleagues in children and families on assessment and meeting needs of children with disabilities

To build strong relationships with SEND Hubs, to ensure a joined-up approach to meeting education and care needs

To work closely with health to ensure collective responsibility for identifying how needs are met and funded

Strategic management:

To contribute to the development of service and team plans to meet the needs of the population served, in line with key performance objectives, priorities and quality assurance principles.

To contribute to Corporate Directorate and cross Directorate strategic developments

Communications:

Establish rapport and respectful, trusting relationships with children, young people, their families and carers.

Establish a high profile and strong working relationships with health, HAS, colleagues across CYPS and the third sector

Ensure strong communication across the team to keep staff aware of developments and performance

Remember and understand the procedures and legislation relating to confidentiality issues that apply to your job role

Understand the key role and value of parents and carers; know when to refer them for further sources of information advice or support

Systems and information:

Ensure high quality case recording which is subject to regular quality assurance

Use systems and information as appropriate to quality assure the work of other professional and support staff.

Effectively evidence management oversight of critical decisions and practice.

Ensure complex cases are subject to review to identify lessons to be learnt

Encourage families and children and young people to share information on their experience of the service they receive

Ensure service information is available to services users, their families and the general public as appropriate

Understand the importance of sharing information, how it can help and the dangers of not doing so.

Safeguarding:

Be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people that you are responsible for and come into contact with.

Be aware of the Local Safeguarding Children Board and its remit

Know about data protection issues in the context of your role

Know when and how to discuss concerns with parents and carers

Appreciate the effects of witnessing upsetting situations and know how to get support

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional qualification (CQSW, DipSW or CSS)
• Current registration with HCPC

Desirable

• PQCCA
• Management Qualification

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of all statutory processes related to working with disabled children and young people across the whole age range 0-25 including knowledge of all relevant child and adult legislation including the Children Act, Children and Families Act, Care Act, CSDPA Act
• Knowledge of current philosophy in child and young person care
• Knowledge of Mental Capacity and Liberty protection Safeguards
• Knowledge of direct payments and self-directed support
• Knowledge of the Assessment Pathway for children and young people across the whole age range 0-25
• Knowledge of strong transitions for children
• Knowledge of continuing health care and continuing care funding
• Knowledge and experience of current research and good practice
• standards in relation to children and families at a local and national level.
• Can demonstrate extensive experience in managing the care needs of disabled children and young people (0-18) within the context of statutory legislation including child protection and court processes.
• Experience of supervising and managing staff.
• Experience of high-performance delivery
• Experience of intra and inter agency work
• Case management experience of cases with complex legal, professional and ethical issues including court proceedings, case conferences and other formal processes

Occupational Skills

Essential

• Ability to supervise and manage a range of social care staff including social workers, family support workers
• Ability to effectively monitor performance and drive improvements
• Ability to prioritise and manage the work of the team to agreed national and local standards.
• Ability to motivate and lead staff in a changing social care environment.
• Ability to plan and develop new ways of working, including integration with other key agencies.
• Negotiation skills.
• Recruitment & Selection, including the Councils Equalities policy.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff, elected members and service users (oral and written).
• Budget Management skills.
• Set and monitor practice to agreed standards.
• Business Planning.
• Ability to represent and promote the work of the Directorate with other agencies.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

North Yorkshire Council

Address

County Hall

Racecourse Lane

Northallerton

North Yorkshire

DL7 8AE

Employer's website

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)