Employer:Surrey County Council
Reference:045118/MS/6928
Salary:£35,634 - £40,281 Plus £1,500 per annum retention supplement (paid monthly with salary)
Hours:36 hours per week
Working pattern:Full Time, Permanent position
Location:Kingston upon Thames
Closing date:19/01/2009 23:00 PM
We are seeking an able, experienced children’s social work professional, ideally with management experience in a fieldwork setting, to join Surrey Contact Centre Children’s team as an Assistant Team Manager.
This busy and varied role could be your first step into management working as part of our co-ordinated services, created to provide a holistic response to the needs of children and their families.
The Contact Centre takes all new Children’s Social Care referrals. You need to be able to process information quickly and safely and communicate urgent cases to the appropriate team to assess/investigate. No two days are the same and the nature of the work varies considerably.
You will be responsible as part of a small management team at the county’s central referral point, for making reasoned and accountable disposal and risk management decisions on all enquiries directed by public and professionals to Children’s Social Care. The work is fast-paced and consistent decision-making, within a prescribed, 24-hour time-frame, requires excellent legal and procedural knowledge as well as competence in use of the children’s service database.
You also need to be confident in managing a team of 12 staff in the absence of the team manager. We’ll count on you to provide professional guidance and advice to less experienced staff and to ensure that best professional practice and standards are maintained.
The team operates from 8am to 6pm daily. You will need to work flexibly, sharing 8-4 or 10-6 shifts to ensure management cover is always available to our Referral and Information Officers and business support staff and for consultation by professionals.
A GSCC registered, professionally qualified social worker with significant experience of child protection and risk management, and supervisory experience, you’ll be able to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of undertaking assessments, together with IT and time management skills to enable you to work effectively and efficiently in this busy role.
An enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure and POCA check will be required for this role.
For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Lynne Kendrick 020 8541 7841.
Interview date: 28 January 2009.
Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Surrey County Council particularly welcomes applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
