Sanctuary Social Care currently has a permanent vacancy for an experienced and dedicated Practice Manager to work within a Fostering Team based in Slough. The ideal candidate will possess highly developed specialist knowledge of Social Work Practice in Children's Services and be registered with the HCPC.
As the post holder of this role, you will receive a competitive salary of £44,000 - £49,500 per annum.
Main Responsibilities/Duties:
- To provide effective and efficient management of fostering team staff, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and departmental eligibility criteria in order to meet local and national policies and standards.
- To report to and sit on Fostering panel as an adviser or social work representative, where appropriate.
- To contribute to the development of quality standards, performance indicators and best practice in line with the Quality Assurance and Performance Management frameworks, including ensuring these are sensitive to ethnic, cultural and religious needs and those of other disadvantaged groups.
- To develop, support and maintain good social work practice; ensure adherence to policies and procedures and provide management oversight to ensure that risk is identified and managed in a systematic and timely way that is sensitive to the needs of the community in Slough.
- To contribute to and generate reports and data collection for Ofsted, including Reg 35 reports.
- To plan and monitor the team's performance using management information systems and regular direct observation of work.
- To oversee and monitor case recording and decision making, including chairing meetings, conferences and reviews as required and to have regular meetings with colleagues to ensure the effective flow of work and the transfer of cases.
- To supervise members of the fostering service and undertake regular personal and case supervision and appraisals.
- To challenge (respectfully but firmly) and scrutinise practice and ensure continuous improvement, identifying capability gaps within the service and taking appropriate action to improve staff performance.
- To collate data and monitor performance data of staff and the service.
- To maintain an awareness of changes in legislation and regulation guidance and ensure policies and procedures of Slough are kept up-to-date and all staff and foster carers remain informed of changes.
- To ensure the delivery of high quality safeguarding practice through regular supervision of staff in accordance with the Supervision Policy.
- To quality assure annual reviews/SOC/Form F and SGO assessing.
- Responsible for participating in case auditing activity across the service (and with partner agencies as required) to secure the highest possible standards of social work and other safeguarding practice and record keeping and to act in accordance with requirements of statutory guidance.
- To contribute to, quality assure and deliver training as appropriate.
- To maintain, monitor and review accurate records of all work undertaken ensuring recording information is accurate and up to date, including comprehensive use of the Integrated Children's System.
- To offer an advice and consultancy service to social work colleagues in relation to fostering matters.
- To prepare and/or contribute towards annual service planning specifying targets, performance measures, quality standards.
- To contribute to contracts and tender applications.
- To continually appraise the team's learning and development needs and translate these into development plans.
- To plan and keep under review allocated budgets adhering to Trust procedures at all times, producing monthly monitoring reports and to communicate budget pressures to the service manager at an early stage.
- To ensure that resources and budgets are effectively utilized to promote the safeguarding and welfare of children in placements.
- To be responsible for the promotion of own professional development; ensure current and continued registration with HCPC and that of team members.
- To promote good standards of customer care ensuring service user, carer and parental participation, and that their views, are considered in service delivery including effective complaints handling, user consultation via partnership and project group working so that effective engagement with all customers and stakeholders can be routinely evidenced.
- To undertake risk assessments and ensure the health, safety and welfare of visitors, service users and staff is maintained in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
- As required, to provide and present reports and participate in working groups.
Requirements of the Practice Manager:
- Degree or equivalent in social work
- Current HCPC registration
- Significant senior level frontline experience within children's services
Apply today:
This Practice Manager job is advertised by Jamie Bartlett; if you are interested in this position please click above to apply now.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, regretfully we are only able to respond to candidates who meet our clients' requirements.
Reasonable Adjustments:
If you consider yourself to have a disability or require any reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please highlight this at the earliest opportunity. With this information, we will provide appropriate support to you throughout the process and into your work placement.
