The role
This is an exciting role at the heart of Children’s Services that requires a candidate with resilience, ambition, creativity and proven experience in leadership in Children’s Services to help to continue to develop the Safeguarding and Family Support Service. The role has responsibility for all children subject to Child in Need, Child Protection Plans and all of those subject to Public Law Outline and Care Proceedings.
The collaborative nature of the work requires excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills. The role is challenging requiring a strong focus on ensuring strong systems and direct practice centered on a relentless focus on keeping children safe. The successful candidate will need analytical planning, excellent practice knowledge and strong organizational skills, all of which will be used to best effect in helping to instill a reflective and open learning culture. You will need an excellent, up to date awareness of the professional agenda, relevant legislation and be open to looking critically at research and the evidence base on what works and makes a difference.
You will need to have significant experience managing operational teams within children’s social care and have a genuine commitment to the provision of high quality services for families and working with families to keep families strong. The role will be part of the DMT team working together with all of the Heads of Service across Children’s Social Care to provide high quality and inspiring leadership. The Safeguarding and Family Support Service is well resourced with an embedded Clinical Service, co-located specialist domestic violence workers, an internal Family Group Conference Service and Family Support Workers working directly with families to provide help and support to keep children safe within their families with a focus on addressing neglect. There are significant challenges to provide the right help support and help to adolescents and their families where risk is contextual in the wider community and requires different, new and imaginative ways of working and greater connection with communities and other services including the development of a multi-agency hub in community safety.
A key aspect of the role will be to lead the strategic development of the department as part of the Children’s Social Care management team. The post holder will need to translate agreed strategy into operational delivery; that makes a measurable difference to outcomes for Southwark Children and Families, and supports the drive for improved working and relationships across the multi- agency system.
The post holder will need to have capacity to be dynamic and show leadership across the system in particular working with key partners to drive service improvement in the Safeguarding and Family Support Service working together with children and families.
The post holder will need to demonstrate a commitment to the value base of child-centred and family minded practice focused on improving lives. This role is challenging and at the heart of Children’s Services, it is an opportunity to make a massive life changing difference. The post holder will directly manager four Service Managers in the Safeguarding and Family Support Service and will be managed by the Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Care.
We can offer you substantial training and development and dedicated specialist administrative support and modern technology including iPhone and mobile devises for all social work staff to use when needed.
If you are interested to know more about this role, please email Helen.Woolgar@southwark.gov.uk who will arrange an informal discussion about the role.
Additional salary details
The post attracts an additional financial JNC Benefit of £2,774.00 per year, pro-rata.
Recruitment timetable
Closing date: 9th February 2020
Interview and Assessment: 14th February 2020 - including a meeting with young people and parents
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