Social Care Team Manager

Suffolk County Council; Bury St Edmunds; Hybrid; GBP 43.000 - 53.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Annual leave

LGPS

Travel benefits

Pay progression

Training and development

Career development

Staff networks

Flexible working

Plus lots more

Zusammenfassung

Suffolk County Council is seeking a Social Care Team Manager to lead a multidisciplinary Family Help service in Bury St Edmunds. You will provide professional oversight, nurture a learning culture and uphold safeguarding standards across the team.

We value collaboration with schools, health, police and other agencies and support workforce development, change management and service improvement whilst delivering relationship-based, strengths-focused practice.

Qualifikationen

• recognised Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration for SWQ roles or an appropriate equivalent professional qualification for AQ roles.
• significant frontline experience in children’s social care, including safeguarding and child protection.
• experience of leading, managing and developing staff.
• strong knowledge of legislation, statutory guidance and national policy.
• experience of complex decision-making, risk management and service delivery.
• ability to build effective partnerships across professional disciplines.
• excellent communication, organisational and performance management skills.
• ability to use performance information to drive service improvement.
• experience of leading service improvements or organisational change.
• knowledge of Signs of Safety and solution-focused approaches.
• understanding of evidence-informed interventions.
• experience of working with partner agencies.
• awareness of wider operational and strategic environment within children’s services.
• driving licence and access to personal transport.

Aufgaben

• Lead, manage and develop a multidisciplinary team of social workers and practitioners.
• Provide reflective supervision, professional guidance and performance management.
• Oversee complex child protection, safeguarding and family support work.
• Support effective decision-making and risk management across the team.
• Drive high-quality, strengths-based practice using Signs of Safety and Wellbeing principles.
• Monitor service performance, case quality and statutory compliance.
• Lead on quality assurance, audits and practice improvement.
• Support safe transitions for children and families between services.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with education, health, police and other agencies.
• Contribute to workforce planning, recruitment, retention and staff development.
• Lead change, innovation and continuous improvement within the service.

Kenntnisse

Social work leadership

safeguarding knowledge

partnership building

communication

performance management

project/change management

data-driven improvement

signs of safety

risk management

Ausbildung

Social Work qualification

Jobbeschreibung

Social Care Team Manager

Company: Suffolk County Council

Address: West Suffolk House, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU and Haverhill House, Haverhill CB9 9HB - Hybrid

Salary: from £48,163 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 30 Oct 2026

Closing date: 15 Nov 2026

Summary

At Suffolk County Council, collaboration is at the heart of what we do. As a Team Manager in our Family Help Service, you’ll lead social work practice that helps children and families achieve lasting and meaningful change.

Your role and responsibilities

You will lead and develop a multidisciplinary team, providing professional oversight, support and challenge to ensure children and families receive effective, timely and relationship-based interventions.

You will create a positive learning culture where social workers and practitioners feel supported to deliver their best work, while maintaining high standards of safeguarding practice and effective risk management. You will also play a key role in supporting service improvement and strengthening partnership working across the wider system.

• lead, manage and develop a team of social workers and practitioners
• provide reflective supervision, professional guidance and performance management
• oversee complex child protection, safeguarding and family support work
• support effective decision-making and risk management across the team
• drive high-quality, strengths-based practice using Suffolk Signs of Safety and Wellbeing principles
• monitor service performance, case quality and statutory compliance
• lead on quality assurance activity, including audits and practice improvement
• support safe and effective transitions for children and families between services
• develop and maintain strong partnerships with professionals across education, health, police and other agencies
• contribute to workforce planning, recruitment, retention and staff development
• lead change, innovation and continuous improvement within the service.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate social work leader who is committed to achieving the best outcomes for children and families.

You will bring

• a recognised Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration for SWQ roles or an appropriate equivalent professional qualification for AQ roles.
• significant frontline experience in children’s social care, including safeguarding and child protection
• experience of leading, managing and developing staff
• strong knowledge of relevant legislation, statutory guidance and national policy
• experience of complex decision-making, risk management and service delivery
• the ability to build effective partnerships across professional disciplines
• excellent communication, organisational and performance management skills
• the ability to use performance information to drive service improvement
• experience of leading service improvements or organisational change
• knowledge of Signs of Safety and solution-focused approaches
• understanding of evidence-informed interventions
• experience of working alongside a range of partner agencies
• an awareness of the wider operational and strategic environment within children’s services.
• due to the travel requirements of the role, you will need a driving licence and access to personal transport. If you can meet these requirements through other suitable means, please contact the Hiring Manager to discuss.

The team

We aspire for every child in Suffolk to live their best life.

Our Family Help teams bring together social workers and practitioners to provide coordinated support, early intervention, safeguarding and child protection services for children and families. We are committed to delivering relationship-based and strengths-focused practice that creates sustainable change and helps families build on their own strengths.

You will be joining a supportive and collaborative service where learning, development and continuous improvement are actively encouraged. This is an exciting opportunity to influence practice, support colleagues and help shape the future of Family Help across Suffolk.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker, shaped by the voices of young people: find out more.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contact Charnine De'Ath for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01728652379 or emailing: charnine.de'[e-mail]

Interview date: 24 November 2026

Closing date: 15 Nov 2026.

In return, you’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
• Plus lots more!

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme