Deputy Team Manager

Gloucestershire County Council; England; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

An English local authority is seeking a qualified Deputy Team Manager to lead and shape the MASH team. The ideal candidate will have management experience in child protection and a strong commitment to safeguarding children. Responsibilities include daily oversight of case discussions and collaborating with partners. This role offers a supportive environment with attractive benefits, including flexible working and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Annual retention payment of £2,000

Welcome payment of £4,000

25.5 to 30.5 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Local Government Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Previous management or supervisory experience within a Front Door/MASH Service.
• Fluent English for customer-facing roles.
• Experience working within a Duty & Assessment Team.

Responsibilities

• Assist with day-to-day running of the MASH.
• Allocate work to Social Workers based on priority.
• Provide management oversight on all contacts.

Skills

Child protection expertise

Decision-making skills

Risk assessment

Multi-tasking

Effective communication

Education

Recognised qualification in Social Work

Social Work England registration

Job description

Responsibilities

• Assist with the day-to-day running of the MASH with fellow DTMs, TMs, and partner agencies reviewing contacts/referrals received throughout the day.
• Prioritise urgent safeguarding contacts, provide initial case direction and allocate work to Social Workers.
• Ensure that all Contacts are appropriately reviewed and proportionate enquiries undertaken and responded to within timescales.
• Provide robust management oversight and rationale on the Contact to evidence your decision making.
• Be available throughout the day for case discussions with Social Workers.
• Work closely with the Assessment Teams to ensure children and families are effectively transferred with initial recommendations that evidence appropriate consideration of risk and prioritisation.
• Assist MASH practitioners to ensure children not reaching the threshold for a Children's Services response are given appropriate guidance or signposted to other services.
• Deputise for the TM periodically, chairing MASH Strategy Discussions as required and support the performance development of team members.

Job Overview

We are looking for a qualified and experienced Deputy Team Manager, Advanced Practitioner or Senior Social Worker who can help lead and shape the team and is ready to take the next step.

Qualifications & Experience

As an experienced child protection social worker you will have previous management or supervisory experience within a Front Door/MASH Service, and/or substantial years' experience working within a Duty & Assessment Team as a qualified Social Worker having taken on tasks that evidence 'stepping up' in that role.

• You will be confident in identifying and responding to risk and harmful behaviour.
• You will be a skilled decision‑maker, with the ability to make safe, robust decisions, prioritise workload and multi‑task.
• You will be innovative and can work effectively and efficiently in a dynamic, fast‑paced, multi‑agency environment.
• You will be enthusiastic about keeping children safe and ensure that the voice of the child/young person is heard and at the heart of your decision‑making.
• You will have excellent knowledge of key legislation and can draw upon evidence‑based and practical approaches to implement effective interventions for children and their families.
• You will ensure all interventions are conducted within an anti‑discriminatory framework, and take into account issues such as 'race', gender, sexuality, disability and other oppressions/multi‑oppressions.

Benefits & Support

In return, you will receive effective and supportive line management and regular good quality supervision. This is an excellent chance to learn and develop personally and professionally and to be involved with taking the service forward.

• Social Work England registration
• A recognised qualification in Social Work
• To have passed your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) (if you qualified after 2012)
• A full driving licence and willingness to drive
• DBS clearance, We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire's diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

Employment Requirements

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a 'customer facing role' must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English. Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.

About Gloucestershire Children's Services

Gloucestershire Children's Services is committed to working in partnership with families and communities to ensure every child has the best chance at a happy and fulfilling life. Guided by the principle of "right child, right support, right time, every time," the service is built on values of kindness, respect and fairness. Children are actively seen and heard in decision‑making, and those who cannot live safely at home are given compassionate support. The workforce is skilled, collaborative and courageous‑delivering evidence‑based help and advocating boldly for children's futures. With a clear mission and ambitious vision, the service empowers children to shape their own lives, families and communities. We have been working hard on our recent improvement journey and excited to share our recent news that Ofsted have rated us 'Good' with elements of 'Outstanding'. County council Children's Services judged Good with Outstanding elements by Ofsted.

During the inspection, which took place from June 9 to 20 this year, the inspection team found the council's Children's Services to be Good in its overall effectiveness, with judgements of Outstanding in two of four categories, and good in the remaining two categories. Services showed significant improvement since the last full inspection when they were judged to require improvement in 2022. Ofsted found that 'children in care experience exceptional care and support' and that those who need help and protection 'benefit from high‑quality, effective early help services'.

We are currently recruiting for a Deputy Team Manager to join our MASH team on a fixed term basis for 12 months.

Rewards & Support

• £48,226‑£51,356 per annum
• Annual retention payment of £2,000
• Welcome payment of £4,000
• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service
• Option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year
• Family‑friendly policies and benefits to help support you and your family
• Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.
• An in‑house Occupational Health service
• Employee discount scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme (T&C apply)
• Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) and the Young Employees Network
• Career development and qualification opportunities
• Access to our Social Work Academy
• Paid SWE registration renewal

Right Child, Right Support

Right child, right support, right time, every time. In our recent inspection in June 2025, our Children's Services have been officially judged as 'Good' with 'Outstanding' elements. Ofsted also said 'Leaders have set out a clear vision for delivering success for children, by modelling values and creating a culture where the workforce, children and families feel valued and heard; risk is managed confidently with bottom lines clearly set out.' This marks an important step in our journey to improve outcomes for our children and young people and we remain focused on our mission: to continue building on this success and ensure that every child and young person in our county has the opportunity to thrive.

About the Team

Gloucestershire offers a range of opportunities to develop your career, supported by a phenomenal Social Work Academy offer, a developing systemic practice methodology, an ambitious leadership team and an award‑winning workforce. We are a local authority adopting, and training all colleagues in, systemic social work practice. If you would like to be part of an authority that takes a relational approach to working with families and focuses on what needs to change in the system around a child and family to enable children to thrive, then consider a role with GCC.

Our team structures are designed to ensure there is the right level of support and management oversight available to staff within the Front Door / MASH. The MASH is a supportive team who welcome and fully induct new starters to ensure they are well equipped to start their successful career at GCC. We need resilient, driven individuals who will play their part in making our vision for Children's Services a success. We are an authority with a strong set of values that underpin the work we do: Accountability, Empowerment, Excellence, Integrity and Respect.