Family Finding Manager
Service: Children and Justice Services
Grade scale: Grade 4 Level 2 - 9
Reports to: Child and Family Service Manager
Purpose of the job
To provide high-quality services to vulnerable children and young adults through Adoption, Fostering and Supported Carer Services. To work with relevant stakeholders and partners to ensure that vulnerable children and young adults are provided with placements appropriate to their complex needs.
To monitor current levels of service and to report to the Chief Social Work Officer and Social Work Committee. Contribute to the strategic and operational development of services, implementing and co-ordinating strategic initiatives, local priorities and partnership working with relevant stakeholders.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Be compliant with current and new legislative, local and national policy frameworks and meet National Standards and Care Inspectorate evaluation, scrutiny, and inspection processes to ensure effective delivery of services to vulnerable children and young adults.
To provide strategic leadership in terms of current and future Adoption, Fostering and Supported Carer services in line with associated legislation and standards.
To contribute to the Corporate Parenting Agenda to ensure that partners work strategically and operationally to ensure better outcomes for children and young people, in line with Getting it Right for South Lanarkshire’s Children.
To provide high-quality services to vulnerable children and young adults, through Adoption, Fostering and Supported Carer Services.
To ensure that Adoption, Fostering and Supported Carer Panels are compliant with National Care Standards, the associated range of legislation and regulations.
To monitor current levels of service and to report to the Agency Decision Maker and Social Work Committee.
Contribute to the strategic and operational development of services, implementing and co-ordinating strategic initiatives, local priorities and partnership working with relevant stakeholders.
Person specification
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Criteria |
Essential |
Desirable |
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Education, qualification and training
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You must hold a professional qualification in Social Work and be registered with the appropriate professional body (SSSC). |
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Skills, knowledge and experience |
Proven experience with children and families Excellent knowledge of best practice in the delivery of social work services Experience in recruitment Proven leadership skills with the ability to prioritise, plan and organise workload effectively, both of self and others, delegating where appropriate Proven ability to effectively manage services and staff in a social work setting Demonstrate the ability to manage a number of budgets and analyse statistical data to improve service delivery Demonstrate the ability to successfully influence and negotiate with others at all levels Ability to work in partnership with service users, staff and other agencies and those with Lived and Living Experience Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, including the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing at all levels within and outside the organisation Demonstrate a high standard of computer literacy in Microsoft Office software products (including Word, Excel and Outlook) Quality assurance experience and the ability to understand and apply the needs of service users Possesses change management skills, demonstrating an ability to create cultural change, as well as achieving practical and realistic functional changes |
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Personal qualities
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Motivated, flexible and adaptable with the ability to inspire others An optimistic and dynamic leader Enjoys challenge and change Ability to work within a range of uncertainty and able to work at pace Demonstrate strong analytical skills with the ability to implement ideas and deliver to conclusion Sensitive, understanding and patient, with the ability to remain calm in stressful situations |
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Other |
This role requires PVG clearance for regulated work with children. |
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Safer recruitment checks
As part of our approach to good practice and safer recruitment, we carry out a number of pre-employment checks:
- Asylum and Immigration right to work in the UK.
- Reference check: external candidates require 2 references, one of which must be from a present or most recent employer; Internal candidates require 1 reference from their current line manager.
- Candidate Disclosure Scotland check, where applicable.
Behaviour framework
The council’s behaviour framework is a set of core behaviours that defines how employees approach work to enable the delivery of key tasks for the role. The expected behaviours for this role are:
Efficient
- Use initiative and drive to improve and develop systems and processes to increase efficiency, achieving better outcomes in service delivery.
- Suggests ways to improve how others organise their own work.
- As a manager or professional/expert, you actively seek solutions to deliver improvements and involve others in the development of solutions and improvements.
- Agrees SMART objectives for both team and individual employees, reviewing progress to achieve successful outcomes.
- Manages budgets with no overspends and applies the council’s financial policies and procedures.
- Ensures sustainability and environmental awareness practices are being implemented and that they inform the development of new projects/initiatives.
Flexible
- Anticipates and responds flexibly to changing priorities and modifies practice to meet changing environment.
- Identifies and implements new ways of working.
- Supports individuals and the team at times of both organisational and personal change, making appropriate adjustments to accommodate individual needs where required.
- Expresses a positive approach to change and promotes the benefits of change to team and colleagues.
- Actively listens to customer feedback and takes action to improve customer experience.
Performing
- Use professional expertise and knowledge to ensure the council is leading best practice to improve outcomes.
- Ensure that the council is meeting its legislative and statutory requirements by keeping abreast of new initiatives and legislation.
- Evaluates and reviews the impact of service improvements from the customer's perspective.
- Identifies trends and creates solutions.
- Ensuring that health and safety practices, policies and procedures are applied, keeping employees and customers safe and minimising workplace accidents and injuries.
- Implements the council’s maximising attendance policy and procedure, ensuring action is taken and recorded on Oracle Fusion.
- Considers risk in the context of service development and delivery.
Working with others
- Promotes a positive team environment with good morale.
- Works with other teams and colleagues internally and externally, developing relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and expertise to achieve outcomes.
- Provide objective and constructive advice and support if tensions arise.
- Shares knowledge with internal and external colleagues to achieve common objectives.
- Giving praise and recognition for good work.
- Use professional identity and expert knowledge to work across disciplines, breaking down professional barriers to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.
- Encourages colleagues to consider different perspectives in their work.
- Adapts communication to encourage desired behaviour.
Leading
- Understands what needs to be achieved and ensures that this is communicated to team members.
- Expresses positive expectations of others to support their development.
- Recognises individual and team achievements, thanking and praising others.
- Maintains a positive approach and motivates the team when things go wrong or demands are high.
- You identify talent and provide opportunities for those individuals who wish to progress or learn new skills.
- Takes responsibility for personal and team development needs, taking account of learning styles and available learning/training methods of delivery.
- Uses professional judgement/expert knowledge to make informed decisions