Team Leader - Support Team

Gloucestershire County Council; Sharpness; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Gloucestershire County Council is seeking a skilled and inspiring Team Leader to guide our Family Support team within the Stability Provision for Children in Care. You will provide day-to-day management, supervision and professional development, and represent the team in multi-agency forums.

With a focus on enabling stable, nurturing homes, you will work closely with social work teams, carers and partner agencies to drive outcomes for children in care and those who care for them, including rapid

Job description

At Gloucestershire, we are committed to achieving the very best outcomes for our Children in Care. To do this, we need exceptional leaders who are passionate about supporting children, carers and practitioners to achieve lasting stability and positive change. We are proud of the progress we have made and the strong foundations we have built. As we continue to develop our Stability Provision within Children in Care Services, we are seeking a motivated and experienced Team Leader to lead our Support Team. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a service that provides practical and meaningful support to children in care, those who care for them and professionals across the wider provision. As one of five Team Leaders within the Stability Provision, you will report directly to the Service Manager and play a key role in:

• Leading the Support Team within the Stability Provision.
• Developing and embedding high-quality operational practice that improves outcomes and stability for children in care.
• Supporting carers and children through responsive and relationship-based services.
• Working collaboratively with social work teams, carers and partner agencies to ensure children's needs are met and their potential is realised.
• Contributing to the ongoing development of innovative and effective support services across the provision.

Our service principles

Our service is underpinned by a set of core principles:

• Outcome-focused - We aim high and deliver on our promises.
• Collaborative - We work closely with children, families, colleagues and partners.
• Strengths-based - We build on what is working and foster strong relationships.
• Reflective - We challenge ourselves to ask, "So what?" and ensure our actions lead to meaningful change.
• Invested in People - We create the conditions for excellent practice to flourish.

Role summary

We are looking for a skilled, knowledgeable and inspiring leader who can support and develop a team of family support workers delivering services to children in care and Gloucestershire's in-house foster carers. You will

• Lead a team of family support workers supporting children in care and those who care for them.
• Provide effective day-to-day management and support.
• Ensure high-quality supervision, support and professional development for team members.
• Represent the team in multi-agency forums and partnership meetings.
• Support and oversee life story work for children.
• Develop strong working relationships with social work team managers and other professionals to promote stability and progress for children.
• Be part of the Stability Provision management team and contribute to rapid response services and out-of-hours management arrangements.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a new, ambitious and innovative service committed to helping children experience stable, nurturing homes and strong support networks that enable them to thrive.

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 'Oustanding'. 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'.