Job Introduction
We’re recruiting an Independent Chair for our Safeguarding Service.
This team sits within Children’s Social Care and incorporates specialist statutory child protection and child care reviewing services.
Within the team, Child Protection Coordinators have management responsibility for specific processes relating to Child Protection Conference processes. Independent Reviewing Officers manage the statutory Child Care Reviewing process in relation to each Looked After Child.
The new Chair will be responsible for the operational management of the Independent Reviewing Service for children in care and the Child Protection Conference Service. You’ll chair a range of complex meetings, providing management and advice on associated processes.
You’ll be responsible for processes such as those surrounding direct contact with a child, family, carers, and professionals, and reporting and recording.
You will also be routinely required to cover Local Authority Designated Officer responsibilities, plus other specialist statutory roles within the Safeguarding Team, according to need.
As you’ll be working in a highly scrutinised and regulated area, you’ll need to work effectively with a range of partners at all levels to inform, influence and challenge policy and practice, and to contribute to integrated planning and delivery of optimal outcomes for all children in Milton Keynes. This includes scrutinising and advising on the management of risk associated with children’s plans.
The Safeguarding Team has lead responsibility for the development and implementation of the Quality Assurance (QA) Framework and process on behalf of Children's Social Care. You’ll undertake key QA functions, making a significant contribution to strategic, resource, policy and practice developments and highlighting areas of risk and concern. You’ll work with the Safeguarding Improvement Officer to ensure that QA is effectively implemented and regularly reviewed in response to national and local developments and lessons learnt, so that it remains relevant, up-to-date and accessible.
You’ll lead and participate in a robust programme of qualitative and quantitative audits and other QA activities including user feedback, providing regular analytical reports. You will scrutinise all aspects of case work and planning to ensure these are conducted in line with agreed national and local standards and that performance targets are met, and provide operational managers with timely information to support them to effectively manage and supervise their staff teams and address issues of risk management, care planning and/or practice as and when appropriate.
Main Responsibility
- Monitor, analyse and report on relevant information and data and manage work to ensure that objectives and performance targets within Safeguarding Services are delivered and improved.
- Use specialist knowledge and skills to proactively identify gaps and areas for improvement in practice, policy and procedure related to the city council and inter-agency safeguarding and to lead initiatives to address areas for development.
- Be a member of, lead and advise appropriate work groups, Safeguarding Children Board Sub-Groups, panels and project groups as required and contribute to the strategic and service delivery developments.
- Investigate complaints and disciplinary matters in accordance with corporate procedures.
- Chair Disruption Meetings and make recommendations in relation to lesson learnt.
- Proactively identify need and develop, lead or contribute to training and awareness raising for Children’s Social Care, wider Child and Family (C&F) and other agencies on child care and child protection matters.
- Undertake scrutiny visits (Regulation 33) to children’s residential homes on behalf of the responsible authority as required.
- The post holder may from time to time undertake other duties within the Safeguarding Service to support capacity issues within the service commensurate within the level of the post.
The Ideal Candidate
- Social work qualification (DipSW, CQSW, Degree in social work or equivalent).
- Registered with the SWE and meets the needs of ongoing registration Management qualification or equivalent.
- Post qualification award in subjects related to child or family work.
- Significant childcare experience post qualification undertaken in a statutory setting, sufficient to demonstrate a thorough working understanding of the Children’s Social Care agenda.
- Specialist and extensive theoretical, practical and procedural knowledge of safeguarding and child care issues, legislation and policy and research.
- For this role you are required to have a full UK driving licence and provide evidence of your vehicle insurance with business cover and use of a vehicle. If you are successful, you will be required to supply evidence of your licence prior to starting the role.
- Should you be offered the role, as part of the pre-employment checks an Enhanced DBS will be actioned for you (unless you are on the DBS Update Service).
Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:
- Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
- Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
- Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
- Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.
Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.
We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.
We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.
We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.
If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.
