Team Manager - Kinship

Somerset County Council; Westonzoyland; On-site; GBP 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional public services authority in the UK is seeking a dedicated leader for a new Kinship Care Team. The role requires a qualified Social Worker with strong management skills to enhance support for kinship families. You will influence service design and ensure best practices in the care of children and their kinship carers. The position offers a supportive work environment and competitive salary along with additional benefits.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Flexible working options

Employee assistance and support

Discounts through 'My staff shop'

Gym discounts

Generous relocation allowance

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in Social Work and registered with Social Work England.
• Demonstrable experience in staff supervision and management.
• Ability to work on complex issues with a partnership approach.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Kinship Care Team and oversee kinship work.
• Influence the design and ongoing development of the service.
• Improve quality and consistency of kinship family need assessments.

Skills

Staff supervision and management

Partnership working

Adaptability

Education

Recognised Social Work qualification

Job description

Fixed term contract for 2 years - Ideal secondment opportunity - if applying on this basis please discuss with your Line Manager first.

A commitment to your CPD through a bespoke learning and development programme

Regular, quality, reflective supervision, and learning

33 days annual leave allowance plus bank holidays

What will I be doing?

This is an exciting opportunity to set up a dedicated county-wide Kinship Care Team. Family and friends care is a complex and unique area of work which requires particular knowledge, skills, understanding, and commitment in relation to both the needs assessment of children and their kinship carers and delivery of support services. By bringing together the assessments and support functions into one team, our aim is to:

• Improve the quality and consistency of kinship family need assessments.
• Tailor the support for kinship carers to meet their specific needs.
• Improve the assessment of support needs and develop & deliver a range of excellent services to meet the needs of this group of children and their carers.
• Improve placement stability and outcomes for this group of children and their families.

You will be able to influence the final design of the service and lead the ongoing development of the service. You will be required to manage the whole range of kinship work and the social work team. The Kinship Care Team will be the responsibility of the Operations Manager for the Fostering and Kinship service. You would be joining a stable and supportive management team who are very committed to improving outcomes for children.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

Educated to degree level in a recognised Social Work qualification and registered as a Social Worker with Social Work England. You'll have demonstrable experience of staff supervision and management alongside partnership working on complex issues. Positive, committed, adaptable, and thorough, you'll naturally promote the need for improvement and act as a role model for change. If you think you have the skills and commitment to join our progressive and supportive management team, then we want to hear from you.

What's in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, within a team who are passionate about the work that they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset. Good technology is provided to help you stay connected to your team and manager through virtual meetings, team check-ins, and service sessions. We offer a friendly supportive learning culture with an approachable and experienced leadership team, as well as the below:

• Small supportive teams to progress your career
• Strengths and relationship-based approach to underpin your work
• Regular high-quality systemic supervision
• Trust in your professional autonomy
• CPD with a strong focus on systemic and relationship-based practice
• A kind, caring, and supportive environment
• Generous annual leave and flexible working options
• Optional pension enhancement through our additional voluntary contribution scheme
• Employee assistance and support offering a variety of wellbeing services to support a healthy work/life balance and lifestyle
• A flexible benefits platform including cycle to work and health screening schemes
• 'My staff shop' which offers excellent discounts at a variety of retailers including cinemas, restaurants, clothing stores, and insurance providers
• Gym discounts
• Discounted lease car options via salary sacrifice, along with discounts on fuel
• Generous relocation allowance

Anything else I should know?

Due to the importance of the role, we recommend applying as soon as possible. Depending on the level of response, we anticipate conducting interviews ahead of the closing date.

For an informal chat about roles within our team, please contact Lisa Walker via email [e-mail]

Salary £49,282 per annum plus a £5,000 recruitment allowance payable until 31.3.2027

DBS information

This post requires a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.