Triage Lead

Social Work England; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Additional 5 days annual leave

TIDE inclusive culture

Pension scheme and life insurance

Cycle to work

Job summary

Social Work England is the specialist regulator for social work in England. We are seeking a triage lead to oversee a small team of triage officers, log and progress concerns through the triage process, and allocate new cases to team members.

You will lead triage decisions, draft conclusions, and ensure robust, timely decisions in line with statutory frameworks. The role focuses on public protection, process improvement, and effective collaboration with the triage manager to ensure high

Qualifications

• Experience of managing a team responsible for high volume/fast turnaround casework.
• Experience of supporting line managers, including change management and monitoring of team performance.
• Experience of working in a customer/client-based environment with a strong focus on customer service.
• Ability to identify and resolve problems and provide sound instruction and advice to others.
• Strong analytical, critical examination and decision-making skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to develop effective relationships at all levels within the organisation.
• Excellent written communication and drafting skills to summarise information concisely.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and professionalism with stakeholders, including vulnerable parties.
• Ability to work independently under pressure and manage competing deadlines.
• Commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Responsibilities

• Line-manage a team of triage officers, providing regular supervision and escalation support.
• Lead on the allocation of new concerns to team members and assess interim orders where needed.
• Manage high profile/complex concerns to maintain public safety.
• Draft triage decisions and approve written decisions by team members.
• Apply legal tests and guidance to ensure robust, review-ready decisions.
• Maintain accurate records and safeguard privacy within the case management system.
• Respond to stakeholder complaints and ensure timely progression of cases.
• Collaborate with the triage manager on training and development of staff.
• Support change initiatives and continuous process improvement within the team.
• Deputise for the triage manager when required.

Skills

Team management

Change management

Customer service

Analytical thinking

Communication

Stakeholder relations

Decision making

Record keeping

Confidentiality

Inclusion & diversity

Job description

Social Work England is the specialist regulator for social work in England. Every day, social workers help millions of people improve their lives, and our role is to ensure regulation supports safe and effective practice. We believe in the power of collaboration and share a common goal with those we regulate – to protect the public, enable positive change and ultimately improve people’s lives.

As a triage lead you will be responsible for overseeing a small team of triage officers, who log and progress concerns through the triage process, including making recommendations about whether the threshold for investigation is met. As part of the role, you will be responsible for the allocation of new concerns to team members, will participate in and lead on triage decision making and manage a small number of concerns considered to be high risk or high profile. You will work closely with the triage manager to ensure that concerns are progressed in a timely manner and that change initiatives and continuous process improvement is affected within the triage team.

By ensuring that the triage team progresses fitness to practise cases through the triage process in a timely manner and that our decision making is robust and in accordance with the relevant statutory framework, you will be contributing to our key duty of protecting the public.

Please note: There are 2 fixed-term contract roles available until 30th September 2027 and 15th November 2027 respectively

What you will do

• Linemanagea team of triage officers, providing regular supervision, supporting the team to progress cases through the triage process in a timely manner and acting as point of escalation where team members are experiencing difficulties in progressing cases.
• Lead on the allocation of new concerns to team members, providing any necessary initial direction and ensuring consideration is given to whether an interim order may be required.
• Manage high profile/complex concerns and escalated issues where appropriate, to ensure public safety is maintained at all times.
• Contribute to Social Work England making well-reasoned, robust, timely and consistent triage decisions by participating in and leading triage decision making, drafting triage decisions and approving written triage decisions of other members of the team.
• Apply legal tests, frameworks and guidance to determine if recommendations under the triage test are sound and drafted in line with these requirements. Ensure all documentation and evidence of decisions is robust and stands up to internal and external review and audit.
• Maintain accurate records and case information, using the case management system to ensure the integrity of data and safeguarding of privacy.
• Respond to stakeholder complaints.
• Work with the triage manager to ensure timely progression of cases through the triage process, in line with triage guidelines and key performance indicators, through the use of management information and regular review and monitoring of cases.
• Work with the triage manager in training and developing team members.
• Work with the triage manager and wider fitness to practise management to ensure the implementation and embedding of change initiatives and continuous process improvement within the triage team.
• Deputise in the triage manager’s absence as necessary.

Your skills, knowledge and experience

• Experience of managing a team responsible for high volume/fast turnaround casework.
• Experience of supporting line managers, including the management of change and monitoring of team performance.
• Experience of working in a customer/client-based environment, with a strong focus on customer service.
• Ability to identify and resolve problems, including providing sound instruction and advice to others.
• Strong analytical, critical examination, and decision‑making skills with an attention to detail.
• A strong teamplayer, capable of developing effective relationships at all levels within our organisation.
• Excellent written communication and drafting skills with the ability to summarise information concisely and accurately, identify key issues and frame sound recommendations and decisions.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate professionally and effectively and build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including vulnerable parties, and maintain professionalism in challenging situations.
• Ability to work independently under pressure in a busy, demanding environment, using prioritisation and organisational skills when managing competing deadlines.
• Ability to maintain accurate records, manage sensitive information effectively and maintain confidentiality.
• A demonstrable commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Benefits

In addition to your salary, we also offer:

• 25 days annual leave, rising with service to 30 days per annum, plus bank holidays.
• The option to purchase up to an additional 5 days of annual leave per annum.
• A TIDE award winning inclusive culture, made up of staff networks, social events and forums.
• A pension scheme, life insurance, an employee recognition scheme and cycle to work scheme.

Details

• Job type: 1x fixed-term contract until 30th September 2027 and 1x fixed-term contract until 15th November 2027
• Working pattern: Full time. We offer flexible working subject to business need.
• Salary: £44,866 per year, rising to £47,293 per year after successful completion of a 6-month probationary period.
• Location: Sheffield/Hybrid