Dorset Council UK
Assistant Team Manager (Social Work Qualified) - Family Help
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Opportunities for Assistant Team Managers in Dorset
We are pleased to have opportunities for Assistant Team Managers and aspiring Assistant Team Managers to join Dorset at an exciting time, as we shape the future of Family Help in Dorset.
We’re proud that Dorset Council is a rated Outstanding authority by Ofsted for our work with children, young people and families. This reflects our strong commitment to high quality, child-centred practice and the positive culture we’ve built across our services.
We have 2 vacancies, one on our Chesil locality (Weymouth and Portland) and another in our Purbeck locality (Office bases: Wareham & Ferndown). Please state your preference in your supporting statement as to which locality, if you have one.
Leading National Change
The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme sets out a major national reform of family support and child protection in England, aiming to shift the system toward earlier, more joined up help for families.
Dorset was selected as a national Pathfinder local authority for the Families First for Children programme, placing us at the forefront of developing new ways of working with children, families, and communities. Now aligned with the national guidance: The Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme Guide, we are bringing together a more blended model to support our families to receive the right support and intervention, at the right time.
We take immense pride in leading the way nationally, pioneering ground-breaking initiatives that have garnered recognition from the government. You will join a team of dedicated professionals in Children's Services who, in recent months and years, have set new standards in their commitment to the well-being of children and families.
Our focus is on supporting families to meet the needs of their children and keeping children at home where it is safe to do so. You’ll find a variety of exciting challenges, working with our children, families, and partners, in a workplace that inspires you to grow professionally and personally.
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We are bringing together our Family Help and Child Protection teams to support families in telling their story, only once, focussing on building and sustaining relationships with practitioners supporting them. Social Workers within the Family Help teams, support our children and families as one integrated team, supporting families from Targeted Early Help right through to care proceedings and adoption, promoting continuity and consistent relationships.
As part of the reforms, we are developing our multi-agency child protection teams. We are introducing Lead Child Protection Practitioners within the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) and you will work closely with these practitioners and the MACPT to support the needs of our children.
Our approach keeps families at the centre having redesigned child protection conferences to encourage genuine collaboration and reduce jargon. Our Lead Child Practitioners will also work directly with families, helping explain processes, build understanding, and maintain regular contact in readiness for Child Protection conferences and you will work collaboratively with the LCPP to provide clear leadership and drive positive outcomes for our children.
The success of our Model was recognised by Ofsted in May this year, with us being rated 'Outstanding'. Inspectors commented that 'practitioners have been resolute in universally saying that they feel supported, valued and receive regular and helpful individual and group supervision. They feel equipped with a wealth of resources and training. Practitioners’ relentless dedication to ensure children, families and care leavers receive the support they need shone through in this inspection.'
What You Will Be Doing
We are looking to recruit dynamic, energetic and strengths-based Assistant Team Managers and aspiring Assistant Team Managers to support practice and provide social work oversight for our children and families using and promoting a strengths-based and restorative approach.
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- Work collaboratively with the Multi-Agency Child Protection Team to ensure timely identification of child protection concerns, support family help lead practitioners to undertake s.47 enquiries and deliver good child protection outcomes.
- Provide Social Work Oversight of s.17 child in need work within your team and across the locality and support social work oversight of family help work.
- Have direct Line manager responsibility for practitioners (Family workers, social workers and student social workers).
- Have experience of managing, appraising and supervising staff and/or mentoring others.
- Have experience of working with families at all levels of need and have the ability to manage and chair meetings.
- Lead and develop practice improvement across the service.
- Work as part of an Assistant Team Manager group to deliver training and development opportunities to large groups of staff.
About You
- You will be social work qualified and registered with Social Work England.
- If you qualified after 2012, you will have completed your ASYE.
- You will have experience of leading and supervising or experience of managing/mentoring/supervising practitioners.
- You will be strengths-based with excellent communication skills. Your communication style should be restorative demonstrating your ability to offer high support and high challenge.
- You will have experience and a passion for supporting developing practice.
- You have significant skills in building and maintaining relationships and commitment to multi-agency working.
- You will have experience in reflective supervision and developing reflective practice to ensure robust oversight.
A Culture of Development
As highlighted, we take professional development seriously and have an extensive training offer, including motivational interviewing, restorative practice and strengths-based approaches. We also have a commitment to leadership training and have a leadership pathway for our managers to access.
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