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A fantastic opportunity for an Assistant Team Manager (ATM) has arisen in our Referral & Assessment service!

As one of our ATM's, you'll be accountable for the day to day management of a team of Senior Social Workers, Social Workers and other professionals in the delivery of statutory and legislative duties and requirements. You'll manage the team to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable children and young people in Slough whilst effectively managing risk.

You'll ensure key performance targets, as they apply to the team, the service and Slough Children First (SCF) are met. And carry out this role in a collaborative manner that promotes equality of opportunity and joint working with other teams across SCF and partners, while challenging and supporting the team to ensure timely and suitable outcomes for children, young people and their families, embedding SCF’s values into the work of the team and peers.

You'll use all multi disciplinary resources available to ensure the quality of practice with children, young people and families is of a consistently high quality, is cost effective and quality service standards are met.

Main Accountabilities

• As a member of SCF’s management team, provide day to day management of the team, providing appropriate support and challenge to ensure the delivery of high quality services that safeguard the welfare of children and young people.
• Make effective day to day use of all available professional resources and use a range of theoretical, evidence based and practical approaches including systemic practice to develop and implement effective interventions and support for children and families both within and outside of the family home.
• Manage the distribution of caseloads to ensure that the child or young person’s needs are met appropriately.
• Support and challenge the team to meet the requirements around thresholds for cases, managing the preparation of high quality reports for court or other purposes, challenging, providing expert advice to guide the team through legal and organisational processes as required
• Support and challenge the team in the completion of assessments, plans, toolkits based on identified need, ensuring at each point risk is evaluated, decisions and management oversight are recorded on the case file and any issues or concerns are escalated to the Team Manager to address.
• Chair the first and transfer core groups and CIN meetings to a high standard, supporting social workers in further meetings as required.
• Co-work complex cases with team members as required without taking on a specific caseload of their own.
• Supervise social workers and non qualified staff in the team as per SCF’s supervision policy, supporting and supervising social work students, acting as a mentor to support them through their professional training.
• Lead hub / group supervision to a high standard ensuring that all team members are aware of progress on cases.
• Provide day to day supervision on case work to a high standard.
• Understand what performance information, and audit outcomes are saying to positively impact on individual cases and support staff development.
• Promote direct work with children and young people, supporting all members of the team to actively seek the views of children and families to inform practice in assessment and planning in individual cases.
• Participate in quality assurance activities to support professional development of staff and improve the consistency of practice.
• Support the Team Manager to tackle under-performance, sickness absence and conduct both informally and formally and within SCF’s policy frameworks.
• Contribute to SCF’s development with knowledge of an area of specialist practice and to provide consultation, coaching and mentoring within the team, and across the service as a whole as required.
• Develop and maintain own professional links and leads with partner agencies and the voluntary sector and support those of the Team Manager.
• Maintain own professional development through training and other suitable mechanisms and keep up to date with changes in national, regional and local policy initiatives that will impact on the delivery of services and respond accordingly.
• Represent SCF’s values, leading by example in the delivery of these and setting a positive culture within your team, service and SCF; challenge behaviour when it is not aligned with our values and take appropriate action; support a professional in a respectful and child-focussed environment which supports SCF’s vision
• Ensure all interventions are conducted within an anti-discriminatory framework, and take into account issues such as race, gender, sexuality, disability etc, and deliver appropriate services to the diverse communities of Slough.
• Deputise for the Team Manager, undertake projects and other additional duties as required. Undertake work outside office hours as necessary.

Person specification

• Professional Social Work Degree or equivalent (Essential)
• Working knowledge of the legislative framework and relevant guidance and procedures as appropriate to the post. (Essential)
• Experience of managing newly qualified social workers and/or unqualified staff (Essential)
• Social Work England registered (Essential)
• Experience of delivering high quality services to children and in assessment of needs, case planning and/or case management, including complex cases. (Essential)
• Ability to analyse risk relating to child protection and to plan appropriate interventions.(Essential)
• Acceptance and commitment to the principles of human rights and equality and how they underpin practice (Essential)
• Demonstrable understanding and application of the statutory framework underpinning social work (Essential)
• Specialist knowledge of one or more key issues affecting children and their families. E.g. Domestic Abuse, Mental Health, Radicalisation, Neglect, Contextual Safeguarding (Essential)
• Evidence of continued professional development to enhance own knowledge and skills ad encouraging others to develop theirs (Essential)
• Computer literate with knowledge of Microsoft Office packages (Essential)
• Significant experience in the use of electronic case management systems (Essential)
• Post graduate qualification or equivalent, or the willingness to work towards (Desirable)
• Experience of co-ordinating and managing the work of a tea, balancing needs and resources to achieve a high quality service (Desirable)
• Experience in conducting appraisals/supervision that are reflective and strive towards the successful achievement of department/business objectives (Desirable)
• Experience of managing budgets (Desirable)
• Current UK driving license and access to a vehicle (Desirable