Job description. Job title: Children In Care Placements Manager

Transcription

1 Job description Job title: Children In Care Placements Manager Department: Children s Services Post Ref: Service Area: Commissioning / Children & Adults Grade: J Section: Placements 1. Job purpose To be responsible for the effective management of the Children s Placements Service ensuring placements are based on and best meet children s individual short, medium and long term needs, supporting Looked After Children to achieve improved out comes. To deliver this service within the allocated budget and provide accurate up to date information relating to Looked After Children to inform commissioning priorities, planning for placements sufficiency and a focus on services that are good quality / value for money. Build & maintain effective relationships with the market. 2. Principal duties and responsibilities 1. Manage an effective and professional Placements Service ensuring the commissioning of high quality and value for money placements for Looked After Children that will deliver improved outcomes. 2. Develop & implement policies procedures to ensure the effective delivery of the Placements Service. Implement systems to ensure the service is performance managed and that risks are identified, assessed and managed. 3. Act as a critical friend and support the development of the Children In Care Commissioning & Sufficiency Strategy and associated action plan to ensure availability of appropriate placements and to drive improvements in placement stability by ensuring effective placement matching. Link with procurement and legal departments within Nottingham City Council to ensure legislative requirements and quality standards are met within the commissioning of external services. 4. Ensure the monitoring, review and quality assurance of all commissioned placements, including framework, spot and block contracting, on a regular basis and, in co-operation with other key departmental operational staff. Matrix manage the Comtract Management function. 5. Deliver this service within the allocated budget, reporting to the Head of Service any variations against monthly targets with full analysis and explanations of the issues and suggestions of actions to address variations. Provide monthly spend and forecast updates. 6. Use Information Technology Systems to ensure all information in relation to placements for Children In Care is recorded fully and accurately.. 7. Work with the Analysis & Insight Team to effectively collate statistical information that will enable trend analysis, inform future service & commissioning developments and enable a focus on quality / value for money. 8. Build and maintain effective relationships with external providers, representing the

2 Council s interests, and ensuring proactive negotiation in relation to placement and support packages. 9. Work closely with Social Care teams to ensure Looked After Children s placements requirements are understood and commissioned, on an individual and strategic basis. 10. Work closely with internal residential, semi-independent and fostering managers to ensure full and appropriate use of internal resources. 11. Advise colleagues, senior managers and elected members on placement requirements; options and challenges to enable strategic discussions and developments in relation to commissioned services. 12. Undertake regular supervision with staff members including performance development and review, identifying training needs, monitoring work and sickness absence. Undertake staff recruitment, induction and training. 13. Ascertain views of service users and carers and seek their involvement when developing service provision. 14. Actively engage in national, regional and local arenas relating to commissioning services for Children Looked After. 3. All staff are expected to maintain high standards of customer care in the context of the City council s Core Values, to uphold the Equality and Diversity Policy and health and safety standards and to participate in training activities necessary to their post. 4. All staff are expected to abide by the obligations set out in the Information Security Policy, IT Acceptable Use Policy and Code of Conduct in order to uphold Nottingham City Council standards in relation to the creation, management, storage and transmission of information. Information must be treated in confidence and only be used for the purposes for which it has been gathered, and should not be shared except where authorised to do so. It must not be used for personal gain or benefit, nor should it be passed on to third parties who might use it in such a way All staff are expected to uphold the City Council obligations in relation to current legislation including the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act. 5. This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The post holder may be required to carry out any other duties as directed by a supervising officer, the responsibility level of any other duties should not exceed those outlined above. 6. Numbers and grades of any staff supervised by the post holder: 1 Quality Assurance Officer FTE 2 Placement Officers, FTE 1 Continuing Care Coordinator Part Time 1 Business Support FTE Provide day to day matrix management to: 1 Lead Children s placement Officer: Market Development & Contracts FTE 2 Contract Officer FTE 7. Post holder s immediate supervisor: Clive Chambers

3 Prepared by/author: Anne Partington Date: Job title: Placements Service Manager Note: This section should only be included in job descriptions issued to employees and should not be sent to all job applicants. I understand and accept the job duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. Signature: Date:

4 Person specification Job title: Department: Service: Grade: Post reference number: Areas of responsibility Leadership & Management Requirements Leadership skills and ability to handle and influence sensitive policy issues Excellent interpersonal skills to ensure people with different skills/backgrounds can work together effectively Measurement P A T I D Well-developed oral and written communication skills Excellent analytical skills and ability to think critically Ability to motivate staff. Ability to innovate and create new solutions in challenging contexts Ability to respond positively in crisis situations Ability to handle sensitive, confidential information in an appropriate manner.

5 Technical/ Knowledge of Ability to work with information systems, inputting and analysing data High level knowledge of the Children s social care context of awareness within the City Council and the independent sector. A strong understanding of legislation and national policies relating to children social care including education and disability requirements. Project planning and process management skills, strong budget planning, projecting and monitoring experience. Is concise and persuasive, orally and in writing. Proven programme management and delivery of outcome in complex context. Communication and Team work Ability to think laterally and creatively Demonstrates resilience and clear thinking under pressure Demonstrates and promotes drive for achievement Demonstrates high level interpersonal skills Is self-aware and committed to personal and professional development and has high standards Experience Experience and skills in people management including motivation, performance and capability Experience of management of change in service delivery Experience of working at middle management level Experience of contributing to and achieving improved performance Experience of managing change in a complex, high volume environment Experience of partnership working and influencing. Analysis, interpretation and explanation of budget and financial issues Experience of managing and forecasting spend in complex areas

6 Work Related Circumstances Willingness to comply with the City Council s nonsmoking policy. Possession of full driving licence, access to a vehicle and willingness to travel both inside and outside the council area as required. Willing to undertake any further training as necessary Willing to follow the Council s No Smoking policy Educated to degree standard or equivalent professional qualification or strong experience in Social Care or other evidence of professional development P: Pre-application A: Application T: Test I: Interview D: Documentary evidence Prepared by/author: Anne Partington Date: Job title: Service Manager