Children's Social Care Manager
Location: Knowsley
Rate: £40.24
CLA and CP/CWD and Care Leavers require dedicated time to develop good practice for Social Workers in line with the practice standards. The 2 additional capacity workers based in the office at least 4 times per week will allow for quality practice to be focused at a service level with practitioners.
This role will be built on the foundations from Ofsted on what Outstanding looks like, emphasizing that outstanding does not mean 'perfect'. Identifying areas for improvement does not preclude a Local Authority from an outstanding grade if it has taken swift, appropriate action to address them.
We aim to support Local Authorities to be transparent about areas for improvement, enabling them to take the right action to enhance practice in the future. Significant risks will always exist when making decisions about child protection, and our focus is on how well these risks to children are managed.
The 2 ATMs will be experts in what GOOD looks like, with a proven track record in guiding staff through transformations, streamlining processes, and fostering an innovative culture. They will ensure high standards of practice across our Children Social Care teams, with policies and procedures being followed and practice standards being implemented.
They will have experience in:
Leadership and management skills to motivate a team of social workers. The ability to analyze complex information and make informed decisions. The ability to understand trends from research and apply them to practice improvements. Change management skills to ensure successful implementation of new initiatives. The ability to stay up to date with best practice and new developments. What they'll do:
Engage in quality assurance initiatives and implement new policies to improve outcomes for children and families. Track the impact of initiatives to ensure continuous improvement. Carry out audits and reviews of policies and procedures to identify gaps while implementing development initiatives for social workers based on learning from audits. Stay up to date with evolving regulations and the outcomes of local and national safeguarding reviews. Provide support to ensure staff understand and follow new policies and processes including the use of group supervision. Work with team managers to prepare for inspections and develop learning from them. They will be:
Qualified Social Worker. Registered with Social Work England. Ideally have at least 5 years' experience as a qualified child and family social worker. Experienced in the development of staff via Student/ASYE Support and/or leading a team and conducting performance management and supervision. Experienced in implementing quality assurance and improvement plans. Based on Ofsted Guidelines, the remit of their role will be:
Support with a focus on getting basic social work practice right. Guide practitioners in achieving consistent understanding and application of thresholds – essential for making good decisions. Ensure that staff feel supported by a knowledgeable management team who understand the quality and impact of practice. Improve caseloads to manageable levels with a stable, knowledgeable, and committed workforce. Develop a strong learning culture and a focus on practice. Ensure that Knowsley has a child-centred system with robust arrangements and processes. Develop a workforce focused on achieving sustained improvements in the lives of children and their families. 37 Hours Per Week – Knowsley Council
RQ1460064
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