We are looking for a dedicated and passionate Service Manager to join our Corporate Parenting and Permanence Service in our drive for excellence. In Barking and Dagenham, we recognise the importance of being the best Corporate Parent possible to our children in care and Care Leavers and to achieve permanence for all of your children who cannot live with their parents via long-term care. We are committed to developing robust teams and services to provide nurturing and positive relationships with our children, young people and their carers, whilst managing the complexities that arise for many of our young people in alternative care arrangements. We are passionate about achieving the very best for the families and young people that we work with across our community. As a Service Manager your role will be central to providing exceptional and creative leadership for the Corporate Parenting part of our Service and making a positive difference to children, young people and their families. You will be required to plan, organise and manage your teams, providing effective operational management and support, as required, delegating to your Team Managers as necessary, and driving high performance and timely outcomes for children. You will support your Head of Service to deliver on the Service improvement plan. In addition to this, you will oversee recruitment, service development, quality assurance and individual casework undertaken by your teams.
We are putting the heart back into social work, supported by our CARES practice model, we ensure the child’s lived experience takes center stage. We need committed individuals to support us in the delivery of these aims and to become part of our team to make a difference to our children and families. In return we offer a competitive pay package which includes a generous pension and relocation package, annual leave up to 30 days, investment in your learning and development as well as a commitment to your wellbeing. If you would like a confidential discussion about this post, then please contact socialcarerecruitment@lbbd.gov.uk and we will get back to you within 48 hours.
You will need to be a qualified social worker and registered with Social Work England. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and a comprehensive screening process will be undertaken on successful applicants including an Enhanced Children’s Department of Barring Services check.
You are a social work qualified manager with extensive experience in working with children in long-term care and Care Leavers, who is passionate, caring and dedicated as well as being someone who is able to think outside the box and develop creative solutions. You are committed to relationship-based practice in all your interactions with staff and service users. As a skilled communicator you will have the ability to work with a broad range of people and partners, including working respectfully with children, young people and their families/carers to ensure that children remain stable and nurtured. You will consistently ensure the views, wishes and feelings of our children, young people and their families/carers are used to inform their care plans. You will have a strong record in managing Corporate Parenting teams and meeting improvement outcomes. You will know how to provide management oversight in order that all cases are safely managed in a timely way and to agreed practice standards. You will have an acute appreciation for the Council’s budget and associated pressures on spend, and will know how to work within a budget envelope and provide best value for money. If you share our vision and have the enthusiasm and commitment to succeed despite the challenge of high demand and complex needs, then this job is for you.