Job Introduction
We’re looking for an experienced Safeguarding Manager with excellent managerial and decision-making skills to join our Quality Assurance and Performance team.
This role reports to the Head of Service for Quality Assurance and Performance and is responsible for providing high-quality safeguarding services for children and young people at risk of harm and children in care.
You’ll lead an experienced team of independent stakeholders and will support managers across the service with complex decision making.
You’ll also:
- be involved in supporting the development and implementation of the Quality Assurance framework and related activities including conducting audits
- act as a subject matter expert within Children’s Services and the wider safeguarding partnership
- promote child focus practice with a focus on evidencing the child’s voice.
This position plays a critical role within Milton Keynes City Council and within the MK Together partnership, and therefore calls for experienced managers who are experts in child protection and with a thorough understanding of quality assurance and its role in improving services and social work practice.
You’ll need to be able demonstrate strong relationship management and partnership skills and the ambition and determination to deliver the best services to vulnerable children and young people and families in Milton Keynes.
Main Responsibility
- Ensuring high-quality social work and targeted intervention practice that engages with children and families in a persistent and non-judgemental way, setting high expectations and support and challenge all relevant staff
- Ensuring consistency in the delivery of services including the commissioned interventions enabling those children and young people who face barriers to participation to successfully overcome them
- Taking responsibility (within the city council scheme of delegation) for the range of complex emergency and planned independent decision making required to ensure the safety of children and young people
The Ideal Candidate
- Professional Qualification in Social Work and registered with Social Work England.
- Management qualification preferred
- Substantial experience of case management practice within the Safeguarding field supervising child protection practice
- Advanced specialist with detailed theoretical knowledge of social work and childcare practice, legislation, policy and research
- Good organisational and information management
- Must be self-motivated and able to make difficult decisions, supporting staff with complex work and carrying out general management tasks including supervising and appraising staff within a framework and to high standards
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to form close working partnerships with a variety of different agencies in all areas of the work. To build and coordinate a team of multi-agency, multi-disciplinary professionals to provide a quality service to clients
- To develop and maintain effective services and interventions that prevent the most vulnerable children and young people in our community from experiencing additional difficulties and prevent them from suffering significant harm
- Effective planning skills are required as you will be responsible for short-, medium- and long-term strategic planning for the service and will also take full responsibility for operational planning for safeguarding in line with the agreed objectives and expected outcomes
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates of 18.8%.
- 27 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years. (From April 2023 this will increase to 28, and 32 days after 5 years)
- Holiday Purchase Scheme.
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Health Cashplan.
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
- Childcare Subsidy.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.
Milton Keynes City Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.
Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.
