Job Introduction
We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Social Worker (Team Manager) to join our dynamic team in Medway. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong leadership skills and a passion for delivering high-quality adult social care services. As a Senior Social Worker, you will be responsible for overseeing the safeguarding and welfare of individuals within a designated budget, managing a skilled team, and ensuring best practice is followed at all times. You will also contribute to the continuous development of services, policies, and the performance of the team in line with statutory requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
- Leadership & Team Management: Manage, motivate, and develop a team of social workers and other professionals, providing direction and leadership. Conduct staff appraisals, address welfare and capability issues, and promote a creative, strengths-based culture to supporting people.
- Performance Management: Oversee the performance of your team by embedding a Quality Assurance Framework, ensuring excellent performance and statutory reporting. Provide feedback, coaching, and continuous professional development (CPD) to enhance individual and team effectiveness.
- Resource Allocation: Efficiently deploy resources within a designated budget to meet service demand, ensuring that the team’s workload is appropriately prioritized and managed. Maximize the use of team skills to maintain a high-quality service provision.
- Service Improvement: Work alongside the Operations Manager to improve service delivery by contributing to the development of adult social care provision and policy. Implement new ways of working in response to local and national initiatives, performance indicators, and audits.
- Support and Development: Share good practice with colleagues, particularly newly qualified staff and students, and foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.
- Business Continuity: Provide cover in the absence of the Operations Manager and for other Team Managers to maintain service delivery and business continuity.
- Safeguarding & Welfare: Ensure that all duties are carried out in a way that ensures the safeguarding and welfare of people are upheld.
What We’re Looking For:
- Proven experience in a leadership or team management role within adult social care.
- In-depth knowledge of the safeguarding procedures and adult social care policies.
- Strong ability to manage resources effectively within a designated budget.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and coaching skills.
- A commitment to promoting best practice, professional development, and creating a strengths-based approach to supporting people.
- Ability to motivate and inspire others, while also ensuring high-quality service provision.
- A flexible and proactive approach to change, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
In return we will offer you:
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Generous local government pension scheme package
- Access to wider training and development qualifications
- Flexible working scheme
- Travel plan discounts
- Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
- Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers
Career Progression Frameworks (CPF) have been introduced for all roles at Medway Council. These frameworks provide a mechanism for employees to take ownership of their development within their post and be rewarded accordingly. This means that the salary you will be offered will be at level A unless, based on an assessment against the CPF criteria, you demonstrate that you are meeting the criteria of level B or C. There will be further opportunity once in post to progress from level A to B, and B to C.
When writing your application, it is important to ensure you identify your suitability against the requirements of the job profile, as this information will be used for shortlisting and may contribute to the CPF assessment. Your application may be rejected if the minimum required criteria is not met. Further information relating to the requirements for this role can be found in the CPF Guidance document attached.
The person specification of a job profile is split into three levels:
Level A details the essential criteria that all applicants must be able to demonstrate through their application and interview.
Level B details the developed competencies that an individual who is practised in this role would be able to demonstrate and will be a progression of knowledge, experience and skills from level A.
Level C requires the highest level of competence and applicants would need to fully meet and demonstrate all aspects of the job profile, including qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience.
You can demonstrate knowledge, experience and skills to allow you to perform within this role. You will identify, through application, how you meet the elements detailed within the person specification, at either Level A, B or C. You will be supported to develop in your role through induction, probation and a supportive Performance Appraisal and Career Conversation. Through your induction you will be introduced to the Career Progression Framework (CPF), which will help you to identify your areas of strength and any development needs.
Our organisation:
Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.
Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.
We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.
Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.
Important Information-
Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile
Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement
Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age
For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online
Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.
Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.
If you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.
All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation/correspondence in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 332878.
