Team Manager - Families First

Opus People Solutions Limited; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

Opus People Solutions Limited is recruiting a Team Manager to lead a high-performing Families First Team for Cambridgeshire County Council. You will support social workers delivering statutory children's services through a relationship-based, multi-disciplinary approach.

The role covers Child in Need, Child Protection, and Care Proceedings, with responsibility for safeguarding outcomes, audits, performance management, and multi-agency partnerships.

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across Cambridgeshire.
• Significant experience in Children's Social Care.
• Proven experience leading and managing social work teams.
• Extensive knowledge of child protection, safeguarding, care proceedings, risk management, and related legislation.
• Experience managing complex workloads, service delivery, and performance.
• Strong partnership and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to motivate, develop and support practitioners to high standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and develop social workers delivering statutory children's services.
• Provide oversight of complex Child in Need, Child Protection, and court work.
• Quality assure assessments, care plans, reports, statements, and court documentation.
• Manage service delivery, workload allocation, and team performance.
• Build and maintain multi-agency partnerships to improve outcomes for children and families.
• Oversee supervision, appraisals, performance management, and staff development.
• Deputise for Service and District Managers when required.

Skills

Team leadership

Safeguarding expertise

Stakeholder engagement

Performance management

Multi-agency collaboration

Workforce development

Strategic planning

Driving licence

Education

Social Work qualification (Degree / Master's / PGDip)

Job description

About the Role

Lead a High-Performing Families First Team. Cambridgeshire County Council is seeking an experienced Team Manager to lead within our Families First Service, supporting social workers who work with children and families through a relationship-based, multi-disciplinary approach. This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished Children's Services leader with strong safeguarding expertise, management experience, and a proven track record of delivering high-quality outcomes for children and families.

The team works across Child in Need, Child Protection, and Care Proceedings, completing assessments, direct work, intervention planning, and managing complex safeguarding risks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and develop Social Workers delivering statutory children's services.
• Provide oversight of complex Child in Need, Child Protection, and court work.
• Quality assure assessments, care plans, reports, statements, and court documentation.
• Manage service delivery, workload allocation, and team performance.
• Provide expert safeguarding advice and leadership on complex cases.
• Support practitioners undertaking care proceedings and attending court.
• Ensure statutory timescales, policies, and procedures are consistently met.
• Lead audits, service reviews, and continuous improvement activity.
• Manage risk effectively and support informed decision-making across the team.
• Build and maintain strong multi-agency partnerships to improve outcomes for children and families.
• Oversee supervision, appraisals, performance management, and staff development.
• Lead on complaints, service planning, and team development initiatives.
• Manage budgets and ensure effective use of resources.
• Deputise for Service and District Managers when required.

About You

• Qualified Social Worker (Degree, Master's, Postgraduate Diploma or recognised Social Work qualification)
• Current Social Work England registration
• Full UK driving licence and ability to travel across Cambridgeshire
• Significant experience within Children's Social Care
• Proven experience leading and managing social work teams
• Extensive knowledge of:Child ProtectionSafeguardingCare ProceedingsRisk ManagementChildren's Social Care LegislationPerformance Management and Quality AssuranceExperience managing complex workloads, service delivery, and performance
• Strong partnership working and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to motivate, develop, and support practitioners to achieve high standards of practice

Why Cambridgeshire?

Children, young people, and families are at the heart of everything they do. Believing that effective Children's Services can transform lives, build resilience, and create sustainable change. Their practice is underpinned by relationship-based social work and "Big 6" standards:Voice of the ChildMeaningful and Planned VisitsChronologiesGenogramsSupervision and Management OversightEffective Planning and Plan Reviews

If you're an experienced Team Manager with the leadership skills, safeguarding expertise, and passion to drive excellent practice, we'd love to hear from you.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. A DBS check may be applicable for this role, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.

Location: New Shire Hall, Enterprise Campus, Huntingdon, PE28 4YERate: £45.50 per hour (Umbrella rate)Contract: TemporaryHours: 37 hours per weekOffice Requirements: Hybrid - office-based, flexible, travel required