The Role

We are looking for an experienced leader for our Service Manager role within the Adolescent and Clinical Service. The role will require strategic and operational oversight of an Adolescent social work team, Edge of Care team, and a contextual safeguarding service called Evolve.

We are looking for a service manager who is passionate about adolescents, visionary, and innovative. You will have a proven track record of leading within a children’s statutory context, attending to matters of risk, children subject to plans, court work, and liaison with multi-agency partners. You will understand the challenges that adolescents in cities face, and skilled at developing service design to manage these challenges. You will be an experienced manager, supporting staff, attending to a diverse range of needs, and contribute to the learning of the department.

You will understand systemic issues that impact on the lived experiences of adolescents, including racism, poverty, and additional vulnerabilities. You will be abreast of research and national changes to practice with respect to contextual safeguarding, with experiences of implementation, and capacity to review.

You will be trained in systemic practice, adhering to our Outstanding Practice Framework that has systemic practice at its foundation. You will be able to use key systemic ideas in your communication in conveying ideas to others, understanding the needs of those we serve, and enabling the learning of others.

About the team

Working for Wandsworth, you will have the opportunity to be part of a burgeoning service that meets the needs for all adolescents in Wandsworth. The Adolescent and Clinical service works with adolescents on a continuum of need. The service includes a Targeted Youth Service, Adolescent social work team, Evolve (contextual safeguarding team), social care CAMHS team, family and systemic psychotherapy team and the Youth Justice Service. There are several approaches used within the service including systemic practice, AMBIT, DDP, NVR, and EMDR.

About the role

We want an ambitious and visionary leader!

We want a Service Manager who can lead through service design and development, to take the service to the next phase in development. We are keen to embed participation in every aspect of our development, through co-design and delivery with those we serve and community stakeholders. You will recognise the importance of sustainable change and delivering services in a manner that is bespoke.

The three areas of the service, require coherence, to ensure that practice is rooted in understanding the experiences of adolescents in Wandsworth. You will understand the need to remain in practice, in keeping with our expectation that all leaders in the service, continue to engage in practice.

You will understand the national and local issues that impact retention and recruitment and be able to consider resource management, including budgetary management. You will be leading on policy and practice innovation, holding adolescents at the heart of all your decision making and actions.

We are on a journey to be an outstanding local authority and are looking for applicants who wish to join us on this exciting journey. Working alongside the Head of Service for Adolescents and Clinical Services, you will deputise on their behalf, undertaking responsibilities as directed.

Contact details

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Nana Bonsu, Head of Clinical Services, on 07971 949 229 for an informal discussion.

Benefits

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities. In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

• Closing Date: 11:59pm on Friday 21^st October 2022
• Shortlisting Date: To be confirmed
• Interview Date: To be confirmed

Useful Information: The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

At Wandsworth, we particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams, including black and ethnic minority communities. We understand the value of what a diverse workforce brings to our local authority and therefore, strongly encouraging candidates from these backgrounds to apply to this position.

Equality Statement

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

How to apply?

To be considered for interview your CV and supporting statement (no longer than 1 side of a4) must highlight your knowledge, skills and experience listed in the Job Profile located at the bottom of the advert.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils