Team Manager - Kinship and Permanence

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Contractual hours 37

Basis Full time

Region Fixed-Term / Full-Time

Job category/type Children's Services, Fostering/Adoption, Managerial

Hybrid working but based at Civic Centre, Reading, for a minimum of 3 days a week (to include Wednesdays)

Reading Borough Council is committed to improving outcomes for children, youngpeopleand families. We are looking for an experienced and passionate Team Manager to lead our Kinship & Permanence Service, playing a key role in securing stable, long-term family arrangements for children and young people.

This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished social work leader to manage a specialist service that supports permanence planning, kinship care, specialguardianshipand private fostering arrangements.You'lljoin a forward-thinking Children's Services team focused on delivering high-quality, relationship-based practice and achieving thevery bestoutcomes for children.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversityand inclusionis the key to our success.Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

As Team Manager,you'llprovide leadership,directionand oversight across the Kinship & Permanence Service, ensuring children and families receive high-quality,timelyand effective support.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a specialist team delivering kinship,permanenceand special guardianship services.
• Ensuring permanence plans progress without unnecessary delay for children in care.
• Overseeing assessments, supportservicesand family-finding arrangements.
• Providing supervision,guidanceand professional challenge to staff.
• Driving quality assurance, performance managementand service improvement.
• Chairing and contributing to complex meetings and decision-making processes.
• Building effective partnerships across Children's Services and external organisations.

You'llalso playan important rolein shaping the future of the service, promoting bestpracticeand ensuring our work continues to deliver positive outcomes for children and carers.

About you

We'relooking for a confident and experienced social work leader who is passionate about achieving permanence and stability for children.

You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England and have substantial experience within children's social care, fostering, kinship,permanenceor related services.You'llbe comfortable managing staff, supporting professional development and leading practice improvement in a busy and evolving environment.

You will also bring:

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Sound knowledge of legislation,safeguardingand permanence planning.
• Experience of quality assurance and performance management.
• The ability to build effective relationships with children, families,carersand professionals.
• Excellent communication, analytical and decision-making skills.
• A commitment to delivering high-quality services and improving outcomes for children

You'llbe part of a team that relies oneach individualto play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day,you'llalso be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place. Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential asa great placeto live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are usedefficientlyand employees' skills are developed and used effectively Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambitionisstrongly encouraged, andyou'llget a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holidayentitlement -25days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to30 days after 5 years' service an d33days after 10 years' service, with theoptionto buyadditionalleave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance,servicingand road tax