Service Manager Children in Care Mid Essex

Service Manager Children in Care, Leaving and Aftercare and Fostering MID

Permanent, Full Time

£66,899 to £76,280 Per Annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 21st April 2025

We're serious about social work at Essex County Council. It's demanding, it's complex, but it's also hugely fulfilling. Here you'll have time to be the Service Manager you always wanted to be, achieving change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice. You'll work collaboratively with other agencies and partners to ensure that we provide the right response at the right time to every child and family receiving services.

We are looking to build on the well-earned achievements of our teams, and the families they work with. In this role, you will harness that momentum and lead our teams as we seek to deliver better outcomes for our community. This is an opportunity to shape the direction of children's social work in Essex. You'll have an immediate impact on the way our teams think and communicate - but you'll also have a lasting impact on future generations of Essex residents. From the small details, to the big picture, you will be a guiding force for staff and families alike.

Children In Care Teams work with children and young people up to the age of 18 who are in care- they're unable to live at home and are either placed with foster carers or live in residential homes. They work with children and young people to ensure their experiences in care is a good one and that the work undertaken prepares them for their transition into leaving care or return home to family. The CIC Teams receive cases in proceedings after the first hearing, they visit children and young people in placement, develop permanency plans which include SGO and adoption, undertake life-story work to enable a child to understand the reasons for being in care and also support children to return home to birth family. The teams are all committed to high quality work and engagement with all children in care to maximise young people's potential. Like many other areas across Essex, they believe in working collaboratively with agencies including Health and Education to ensure that care plans support the outcomes for the child.

We are seeking a Service Manager who has a good understanding of the needs of Children In Care and Care Leavers. The successful applicant will also be vital in working with Fostering and Foster Carers to promote stable and available placements.

Accountabilities

• Operational planning and performance review to maintain exceptional service delivery and ensures the political objectives and priorities of the council are met.
• Working collaboratively within and across functions and thinking commercially to support the delivery of best possible outcomes for our customers on a financially sustainable basis.
• Maintaining and nurturing collaborative relationships with other teams in the function and external organisations that support the delivery of annual plans.
• Implementing changes and continually evaluating service to improve the area of work, while maintaining the highest possible levels of service quality are continually delivered.
• Managing complex issues and resources to meet the needs of customers and deliver the best possible outcomes.
• Effective utilisation of digital technologies and innovation across the council and with stakeholders and partners.
• Ensuring equality and diversity is celebrated and considered as part of all decisions taken.
• Using professional expertise to translate goals and plans into ways of working that comply with relevant legislation and statutory requirements and manages a level of appropriate risk.
• Managing the delivery of exemplar customer interactions to individuals and communities which support the management of strong relationships and a reputation for achieving outcomes and resolving issues.

What you will need to join us

• A recognised social work qualification (i.e. Diploma, degree or Master's in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent) with current registration Social Work England.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners and stakeholders, demonstrating breadth of thinking across social care, partners, the wider council and the system as a whole.
• Significant experience within a social care setting, with a deep understanding of current social care issues and implications for delivery at local level.
• Strong leadership and behavioral skills with the ability to focus on results forging a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds to achieve objectives.
• Experience of successful delivery within a rapidly changing and ambiguous environment while managing conflicting priorities.
• Proven influencing skills with an ability to pro-actively lead and deliver cultural change to improve quality of service.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.