1. To lead and deliver a high quality and effective social work services for children, their families and carers.

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Frank Copeland
6 years ago
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1 Heads of Service Children s Social Care Job Title: Reports to: Head of Service Deputy Director, Children s Social Care Main Purpose of Job: To lead and inspire the highest quality social work practice so that all children with whom we work have the best possible life chances and future outcomes. To model ambition for our service and staff, so that they strive to improve the quality of their relationships with children, families and carers, thereby improving the effectiveness of help, support and permanence we offer. To develop, and implement a new and challenging performance review framework that is aligned to Bexley s social work values, which include those associated with Signs of Safety. To think creatively about the range and breadth of services that we need for all looked after children in order to ensure that permanence is secured quickly and always in their best interest. To work as a collaborator in both the senior leadership team and with corporate colleagues, taking responsibility for rigorous financial management and oversight, the highest quality sufficiency strategy and exploiting new opportunities to commission and manage services. To be passionate and relentless in protecting and promoting the welfare of children and young people in Bexley particularly those facing sexual exploitation, missing from care or education, affiliating with gangs and offending. You would work in close partnership across all agencies. Underpinning these key responsibilities, will be a total commitment that you can evidence about the ways in which you will seek out and prioritise the views of children, their families and carers. This role offers an ideal opportunity for creative leaders to influence how we organise and deliver our vision. The role will be responsible for the following teams: arly help and support Multi-Agency Support Hub Referral and Assessment teams Family Support and Child Protection Children s Social Care Complex Child in Need Case management Out of Hours social work Child sexual exploitation and missing children Accountabilities 1. To lead and deliver a high quality and effective social work services for children, their families and carers. 2. To provide a clear sense of direction, priority and purpose for the staff working in the service, enabling a strong commitment to the social work values of the directorate and the competencies as they are set out in the key knowledge and skills statements for social workers and practice leads. 3. To deliver the objectives of the service as set out in the strategic plan for the directorate, the service plan for the business area, aligning both with the Council s corporate plan and strategy for 2020.

2 4. To interpret and implement legislative and government policy requirements, taking account of local needs, service priorities, partners and other stakeholders. 5. To ensure that the service learns directly from practice all of the time, establishing improvement priorities from complaints, quality assurance, audit, feedback from children and families, staff, corporate colleagues, partners and inspections. 6. To innovate and learn from others by looking outwards to best practice and improvement in other services and authorities 7. To be an active member of the leadership team, attending to strategic improvement priorities, the implementation of signs of safety whilst modelling and managing a positive approach to change. 8. To give robust oversight to performance, ensuring that all managers participate in monthly performance boards, understand their own service performance and prioritise the required improvements. 9. To ensure that all services provided are cost-effective, and responsive and to ensure that complaints received are investigated and resolved in accordance with departmental procedures. 10. To hold responsibility for the efficient and effective management of the budgets within the remit of this post, working closely with the Senior Leadership Team and senior finance lead. This will include the regular submission of exception reports against budget and placement activity. 11. To make Local Authority decisions in accordance with statutory responsibilities in the event of interagency disagreement on detailed issues in child care and child protection and to offer management guidance out of hours on a rota basis to the mergency Duty Social Workers about the deployment of resources. Through personal example, commitment and clear action, to value diversity in the service and to ensure this is maintained throughout teams and in service delivery. 12. To develop and maintain up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, practice and research and ensure that all developments and changes are implemented throughout the relevant service area(s). 13. To establish effective working relationships with Members, Corporate Leadership Team, Directors and Deputy Directors on the full range of issues within the scope of this post, dealing with enquiries efficiently and providing timely information, preparing and presenting reports on relevant matters for council, scrutiny, management board and committees as required. 14. To supervise and manage staff with consistent oversight, excellent communication, professional guidance, support and development in accordance with the mployer Standards and Council s policies and procedures. 16. To ensure that excellent working relationships with internal and external partners are developed and maintained to secure the delivery of services and to represent the service as required in meetings with external agencies and other departments as necessary in a manner that is consistent with the Council s values.

3 Person Specification SLCTION CRITRIA (a) Attitude, commitment & demonstration of desired behaviours SSNTIAL/ DSIRABL (/D) MTHOD OF ASSSSMNT Able to demonstrate leadership behaviours that enable good social work to flourish Demonstrates understanding of, and a clear commitment to working in accordance with the Council s values and High performance indicators. Demonstrates a clear commitment and willingness to adhere to the Managerial Contract for Bexley Managers. Commitment to work beyond office hours as required by the role and to participate in senior manager out of hours rota. Willingness to undergo DBS disclosure checks prior to employment and in accordance with the Council s requirements thereafter. (b) ducation and Formal Training ducation to degree level, with post qualifying training D Professional qualification and current HCPC registration evidencing ability to function in a professional discipline at a senior level, as appropriate for the post (Social work qualification recognised by HCPC). vidence of Continuous Professional Development (c) Relevant Technical xperience and Knowledge Demonstrable evidence of ability to lead and develop a service with success and minimal resistance to change. Ability to work constructively as a member of a senior leadership team. ither (1 a and b) OR (2): (1) (a) Demonstrable experience and skill in managing care proceedings, relationships with courts and judges and a full working knowledge of the emerging requirements on adoption and the reform of services for looked after children; AND

4 SLCTION CRITRIA (1) (b) xperience of working directly with adolescents, looked after children, including a deep understanding of their needs, the importance of good places to live and role of social workers and independent reviewing officers in their lives and those of their families. SSNTIAL/ DSIRABL (/D) MTHOD OF ASSSSMNT AND/OR (2) Demonstrable experience and skill in managing frontline services in assessment, Children in Need and Child Protection, including public law outline work. (3) Able to successfully transform children s social work services into high performing services, introducing innovative service models and maintaining those standards. (4) Demonstrable evidence of rigorous management and practice oversight, corrective action plans and improved delivery of social work services for families (5) xperience of leading and managing children s social care services that are relevant to this particular service area and role (including high risk and high complexity work), and that deliver high quality performance and good outcomes for children. (6) xperience of developing a highly motivated, high achieving and stable work force with a positive, can-do, customer-centred culture. (7) Achievement of measurable results in an environment where political and financial issues impact on service delivery. (8) Ability to write high quality, clear and concise management and committee reports, constructing and adhering to the timelines in local decision making cycles. (9) Comprehensive understanding of national policy, strategy and developments regarding children s social care, and areas that impact on looked after children. (10) Comprehensive understanding of relevant legislation, statutory guidance, standards and procedures. (11) Comprehensive understanding of relevant theoretical frameworks, practice models and research findings. (12) Comprehensive understanding of outcomes concepts, quality assurance methodology and change/project management techniques. (13) vidence of successfully managing budgets, achieving value for money and commitment to deliver services in line with the agreed

5 SLCTION CRITRIA budget. (14) xperienced in leading and managing strategic and operational change, projects and programmes to achieve desired outcomes, applying project management skills effectively. (15) Ability to lead and manage a service area dealing with high risk and high complexity in a way that delivers protection and the best outcomes for children and families. (16) Able to devise and introduce effective outcomes based quality assurance frameworks. (17) xperienced in developing strategic priorities with partners and developing innovative service delivery models. SSNTIAL/ DSIRABL (/D) MTHOD OF ASSSSMNT

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week (part time hours negotiable)

JOB DESCRIPTION Post Title: Head of Performance Assurance Location: NHS Oldham CCG Headquarters (Ellen House) Salary/Grade: Band 8c Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week (part time hours negotiable) Type