The role
This is an exciting leadership 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, Private Fostering 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 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 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 Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting Senior Leadership Team and work with leaders across the Children and Families division. The Safeguarding and Family Support Service is well resourced with an embedded Clinical Service, 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. A key part of the work is getting the right support 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 our communities.
The post holder will need to demonstrate a commitment to the value base of child-centred and family minded practice focused on improving lives. It is vital the post holder can show how they stand up to all forms of discrimination and are committed to standing up to racism and actively seeking to understand and challenge disproportionality. 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 a Care Proceedings Case Manager and will be managed by the Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting.
Our most recent Ofsted inspection was graded as ‘good’ in all areas.
At Southwark Children’s Services, we pride ourselves on doing our vital job differently. Our systemic, holistic, family-centred approach sits at the core of our values. Our endlessly supportive, collective, colleague-centred culture underpins everything we do to protect vulnerable children across our borough.
“Children are at the heart of practice in Southwark.”
“Staff have time to work intensively with families when needed, and to reflect and consider ways to improve children’s lives”
Our offer includes:
• Substantial training and development is provided including an offer of coaching and mentoring
• Modern technology including laptop, Apple iPhone and iPad
• A basic salary range of £65,736 - £82,023 plus an additional financial JNC Benefits package of £2774.00 per year (pro-rata, April-March, subject to review)
Additional details
This role will initially be for a 12 month fixed term contract and we are really interested to support aspiring Service Managers with coaching and programme of support.
Please note a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required at enhanced level.
If you are interested in a discussion about this role, please email Helen.Woolgar@southwark.gov.uk
About Southwark:
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
Recruitment timetable
Closing date: 28th November 2023 at 23:59
Interview and Assessment: 11th December 2023
SWCHTF
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
Attachments
