Job Introduction
Milton Keynes City Council are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Social Work Manager to lead in the establishment of our Contextual Safeguarding Team.
The team will be multi-disciplinary, with the manager overseeing qualified and unqualified workers. This is an exciting collaboration between MKCC and our partners to lead the way in embedding contextual safeguarding practice with our young people and our community.
The Contextual Safeguarding Team will sit within our wider Youth Offending Service with senior management oversight from CSC. This will allow the manager to have support in safeguarding decision making, while also being creative and young person focused in the teams approach to risk management.
As a new team to MKCC, the Team Manager will have the opportunity to shape and grow the culture, practice and direction of the team alongside the senior leadership team. We are looking for someone with a passion for working with young people and who is innovative in their thinking and approach to practice.
Main Responsibility
- To ensure that all children in need, in need of protection, and/or in care are safeguarded and their well-being is promoted effectively, through the application of specialist theory, practical and procedural knowledge.
- Lead a team consisting of multi-agency & multi-disciplinary professionals to ensure they are effectively managed and supervised and casework is suitably allocated and monitored across the team’s area of responsibility, ensuring the best possible outcomes for children.
- To work in partnership with the Professional Lead to ensure that the provision of supervision is tailored to the needs of the individual and their specific role within the wider service.
- Ensuring that assessments, care planning and case work reviews comply with the standards set by Social Work England, Ofsted Inspection Framework and Her Majesty Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) to ensure legal requirements are fulfilled to achieve best practice.
- Setting short and long-term goals for the team in order to contribute to the council’s vision, mission and values as well as enhancing the department’s safeguarding and promoting the well-being of children processes.
The Ideal Candidate
- Professional qualification in social work with extensive post qualification experience and/or supervisory experience in social care and/or policing/youth justice field relevant to child exploitation.
- To possess good written and verbal communication skills including presentation skills with ability to question, challenge, solve problems and complete tasks within variable time frames.
- Social Workers who want to work in a multi-disciplinary team with young people at the centre.
- Social Workers who want to specialise in contextual safeguarding with young people.
- Must be self-motivating and able to make difficult decisions and support staff in complex work.
- Able to lead and motivate staff to deliver changes in practice, team structures and joint working in line with local and national requirements.
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.
