Team Manager (Fostering)

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Team Manager to join our Kinship Fostering Team. The Team Manager are responsible for Kinship and SGO Team, having oversight of kinship and SGO assessments, the support and supervision of kinship carers and overseeing the support of special guardians.

This role requires team managers to meet all the fundamental professional standards as set out by Social Work England and ensure that the protection of children is adhered to ensure that children and young people are safe, and their outcomes enhanced. The main duties and key responsibilities of this role is commensurate across Children's Services applying the skills and competencies in different areas across the service.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure statutory childcare duties are met, national minimum standards and regulations are complied with, high standards of recognised professional practice are delivered, and operational staff and supervisors work effectively with partners from other agencies to support individual children and families and improve their life chances.
• To provide professional leadership, decision making advice, supervision and support of social workers and ensure appropriate decision making in line with delegated responsibilities.
• Deliver the area of responsibility assigned to the postholder through the effective deployment of staff and other resources to meet the standards required and ensure children and young people have a positive experience in the care system and successful outcomes.
• Manage and supervise a team of staff, being responsible for the appropriate allocation of work and promotion of a manageable workload including an expectation that all staff undertake a caseload and project work (eg group work, consultation, student supervision as required), utilising a range of interventions.
• Ensure regular staff supervision and performance appraisal, coaching and facilitation to enable staff to work effectively.
• To investigate complaints, disciplinary allegations as required in conjunction with departmental or corporate guidelines and legal requirements, ensuring the appropriate senior managers are kept informed, where necessary.
• Ensure children and young people and carers are actively involved in the assessment of their needs, service delivery and review, gathering user feedback on the effectiveness of services delivered and use this information to support service improvement.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 2-3 days in the office
• Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
• Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about Fostering, and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

• Social work qualification
• Specialist knowledge of childcare in relation to children in care and fostering
• Knowledge of fostering regulations and National Minimum Standards
• Ability to lead and manage staff through significant changes

Desirable Criteria:

• Previous management experience
• Experience in Service Delivery

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet .

How to Apply

If you share our vision and values and are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Katie Bailey, Fostering Service Lead, at katie.bailey@n-somerset.gov.uk

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.