Team Manager

The role

The Achieving Permanence Team works with children and families where adoption or long term fostering is the care plan and they also support other teams within Children’s Services in continuing to improve permanency planning for all of our Looked After Children.

We are a well-established, stable team with highly committed and experienced staff and this is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Team Manager who is passionate about permanency and adoption to join Southwark.

The Achieving Permanence Team undertake a diverse range of tasks to make sure that children who cannot grow up within their birth families are placed with families where they will thrive, be happy and healthy and meet their potential. These tasks include adoption family finding and matching in partnership with Adoption London South. Securing well matched long term foster placements, transition planning, court evidence and attendance as well as direct work, life story work and all statutory looked after children procedures.

As a Team Manager you will be managing a team of social workers and providing high quality reflective supervision. You will oversee your team to promote permanency across Children’s Services. The role would include duties such as holding the role of adoption adviser and attending permanency and legal panels, chairing meetings and attending court with other workers.

We are looking for a Team Manager with significant experience of the adoption process and permanency planning. You will have excellent assessment and analytical skills and the ability to ensure your team produce written work to a court level standard as well as having a solid understanding of the legal framework which underpins adoption, long term fostering and safeguarding. Promoting equality and tackling oppression and discrimination should be at the core of your practice.

Direct work is a big part of the job. You should be able to support your team to undertake creative and skilled direct work, including life story work to support children to share their experiences and feelings and prepare them for the transition into permanent care and beyond. This work includes producing coherent and excellent life story books and later life letters for our children. Relationship based practice and the ability to form helpful, supportive and respectful relationships with our children and families is key to the team’s work.

We also work collaboratively with a huge number of other agencies. These include all other parts of Children’s Services who we undertake permanence consultancy work with; Adopt London South, national adoption agencies, CAMHS, education, health and voluntary services. You will need to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills as well as a determination to chase up communications to eliminate delay and drift.

A commitment to systemic ways of working, restorative approaches and attachment informed practice is vital. As is a commitment to actively seeking continual professional development.

You should hold a degree or DipSW in social work, be registered with SW England, with evidence of continuing professional development.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Clare Ryan, Service Manager 0-15 Care Service - clare.ryan@southwark.gov.uk

Additional details

Please note this role requires an enhanced level DBS check.

Recruitment Timetable:

Closing date: 23rd July 2021.

Interview and Assessment week commencing: 2nd August 2021.

To apply please click the link below.

(COVID-19) - information for job applicants Southwark Council are following the most recent Government guidelines surrounding Corona virus. During this period, we still look forward to receiving your application and if successful, we will be conducting interviews remotely via video link.  Details will be confirmed via email, if successful.