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Team Manager
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Job Description
Suffolk County Council
Address: West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU and Haverhill House, Haverhill CB9 9HB
Hybrid
Salary: £55,563 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
Contract: Permanent
At Suffolk County Council, collaboration is at the heart of what we do. As a Team Manager (Social Work Qualified) in our Family Help Service, you'll lead social work practice that helps children and families achieve lasting and meaningful change.
You'll join a service committed to delivering the right support at the right time, bringing together safeguarding, child protection, targeted early help and multi-agency working to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people across Suffolk. The role requires strong leadership, sound decision-making and a passion for developing high-quality practice.
Reimagine the possibilities.
Your Role And Responsibilities
You will lead and develop a multidisciplinary team, providing professional oversight, support and challenge to ensure children and families receive effective, timely and relationship-based interventions.
You'll create a positive learning culture where social workers and practitioners feel supported to deliver their best work, while maintaining high standards of safeguarding practice and effective risk management. You will also play a key role in supporting service improvement and strengthening partnership working across the wider system.
You will:
- lead, manage and develop a team of social workers and practitioners
- provide reflective supervision, professional guidance and performance management
- oversee complex child protection, safeguarding and family support work
- support effective decision-making and risk management across the team
- drive high-quality, strengths-based practice using Suffolk Signs of Safety and Wellbeing principles
- monitor service performance, case quality and statutory compliance
- lead on quality assurance activity, including audits and practice improvement
- support safe and effective transitions for children and families between services
- develop and maintain strong partnerships with professionals across education, health, police and other agencies
- contribute to workforce planning, recruitment, retention and staff development
- lead change, innovation and continuous improvement within the service.
You will need
We're looking for an experienced and passionate social work leader who is committed to achieving the best outcomes for children and families.
You will bring:
- a recognised Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration
- significant frontline experience in children's social care, including safeguarding and child protection
- experience of leading, managing and developing staff
- strong knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance and national policy
- experience of complex decision-making, risk management and service delivery
- the ability to build effective partnerships across professional disciplines
- excellent communication, organisational and performance management skills
- the ability to use performance information to drive service improvement
- experience of leading service improvements or organisational change
- knowledge of Signs of Safety and solution-focused approaches
- understanding of evidence-informed interventions
- experience of working alongside a range of partner agencies
- an awareness of the wider operational and strategic environment within children's services.
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Due to the travel requirements of the role, you will need a driving licence and access to personal transport. If you can meet these requirements through other suitable means, please contact the Hiring Manager to discuss.
You can view the full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you'll find in the 'How to Apply' section of this advert.
If you believe you can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every requirement.
The team
We aspire for every child in Suffolk to live their best life.
Our Family Help teams bring together social workers and practitioners to provide coordinated support, early intervention, safeguarding and child protection services for children and families. We are committed to delivering relationship-based and strengths-focused practice that creates sustainable change and helps families build on their own strengths.
You will be joining a supportive and collaborative service where learning, development and continuous improvement are actively encouraged. This is an exciting opportunity to influence practice, support colleagues and help shape the future of Family Help across Suffolk.
Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people: find out more.
Empowering Everyone
We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
Please contact Charnine De'Ath for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01728652379 or emailing Charnine.De'Ath@suffolk.gov.uk
How To Apply
Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (Word).
- Please tell us about your experience of leading social workers and practitioners within children's services. How have you supported high-quality practice, professional development and positive outcomes for children and families? And how have you used data and management information to support this?
- Provide an example of a time when you worked with a range of partner agencies to improve outcomes for a child or family. What challenges did you face and how did your leadership contribute to a positive outcome?
- Tell us about a service improvement, practice development or change initiative that you have led. What was your approach and what impact did it have on children, families, staff or service performance?
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Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
For guidance on completing your application, please see our How to Apply page.
Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what’s acceptable.
Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages.
Closing date: 11.30pm, 30 September 2026
Interview date: 12 October 2026
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.
About Us
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you’ll enjoy:
- up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
- membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
- performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
- training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
- a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
- diverse and active staff networks
- flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
Plus lots more!
If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).
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