Management Grade B – £62,025 - £63,735 per annum plus a market supplement of £4,500 per annum
We have an exciting leadership opportunity available as a Service Manager for resources within the Corporate Parenting Service.
We are looking for a highly motivated Service Manager with strong operational social work management experience to lead and manage the Resource Service, with a clear commitment to services working in partnership with Kinship carers, foster carers, placement provider, financial management skills and knowledge of permanence for Children in Care across the full range of legal options including Adoption.
We are seeking a candidate who can lead, think critically, plan, and manage both strategically and operationally and produce high-quality, analytical, and evidence-based reports. The ideal applicant will have the ability to utilise performance data to enhance outcomes for children, carers, and Care Experienced young adults, in addition to leading and supporting the local Fostering recruitment strategy. This position also requires the ability to manage, plan, and oversee delegated budgets.
Our organisation is looking for a leader who shows a strong commitment to anti-racist practices.
As a member of the leadership team, you will need to be flexible with your hours and participate in the senior management out-of-hours rota when necessary.
Merton is "A place where Outstanding Children's services are offered, where children and young people feel they belong, stay safe, and can thrive."
We want Merton to be a great place for every child to grow up and to give every child the best start in life. This has never been more important, and we need to be even more responsive to new and emerging needs as a result of the cost of living crisis and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our children's services have been judged Outstanding by Ofsted, and we continue to strive for stronger and more responsive practice. Our leaders are committed and focused on supporting our staff and families. We work well with our partners and make decisions alongside our children and their families. We speak with care and compassion about the families we support. Social workers love working in Merton.
• We keep children and young people at the heart of our work.
• We 'Think Family' and focus on the strengths within families.
• We are committed to doing what we say we will do; our integrity matters.
• We learn from what we do to improve the experiences of children, young people, and families.
• We celebrate difference and thrive on respect.
We have implemented a blended practice model which combines the best parts of Signs of Safety, systemic practice, and relationship-based social work.
You will need to be a qualified social worker, registered with Social Work England, and with relevant experience in permanence, special guardianship and fostering recruitment, fostering regulations, placements and brokerage service, and sound financial management.
You should be able to demonstrate an ability to manage and develop staff, provide supervision and guidance, support team activities, and strategic priorities.
Interviews will take place week commencing 13th January.
Merton is an outer borough in southwest London. Suburban in character, the borough has three main town centres: Wimbledon, Mitcham, and Morden. We want our to be a great place for every child to grow up in order to give them the best start in life. To do this, we need the best social work talent working with us.
We offer a full range of employment benefits to ensure every member of staff feels valued and able to progress:
If you like the sound of working in Merton, or want to know more about a specific role, please do not hesitate to contact recruitment@merton.gov.uk