Team Leader - Looked after Children

Salary Details: Spinal point 48-51 (GBP44,751 - GBP47,544)
Job Term: Permanent
Appointment Type: Full-time
Hours: 36
Location: Kingston
Directorate: Specialist Children's Service
Service: Looked After Children

About us
Working for Achieving for Children, you will have the opportunity to operate at the cutting edge of children's services delivery. We are an award-winning social enterprise created by Kingston and Richmond Councils in 2014, joined in 2017 by Windsor and Maidenhead, and responsible for delivering the boroughs' children's services.

We have been up and running for four years, and in that time we have established a reputation as one of the leading children's services providers in the country. We are one of the Department for Education's eight 'Partners in Practice', tasked with leading improvement across the sector.

About the Role
As a Team Leader in Looked After Children/ Permanency, you will provide casework oversight and professional supervision to a team of social care professionals to improve the outcomes for vulnerable children. You will provide advice, support and guidance to the team undertaking family finding for specific children and provide support to birth parents pre- and post-placement. You will help and assist to recruit, train and assess prospective adopters, and write and present reports to the Adoption and Permanency panel, court and other forums.

An essential part of your leadership will be to continue to develop good quality partnerships with children, families and partner agencies. You will ensure the staff you manage are able to develop their professional careers and they continue to be able to provide a very high standard of service to vulnerable children.

Our social work promise
We are able to offer the successful candidate a multi-professional, supportive and engaging environment in which to practice. Our social work support programmes are underpinned by a practice framework that broadens and deepens your knowledge of social work. In addition, we have recently introduced an exciting, bespoke 'hub model' funded our Partner in Practice work. This model encourages social workers, family support workers and systemic family therapists to work in partnership, driving down caseloads and collaborating on cases.

About you
The ideal candidate will be passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people.
You will be an experienced Social Worker professional with experience in working with children and young people, families, carers and communities to formulate care plans in partnership, based on their assessment of need, enabling them to clarify and express their needs and contribute to their planning.

You will also have the skills to investigate concerns regarding a child or young person's safety or well-being and have the ability to make an assessment of risk and protective factors and decide on the most appropriate course of action.

How to find out more
If you would like to find out more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Victoria Haywood, Social Care Recruitment Lead, at for an informal discussion.

If you would like more information about this role please visit our website to see the job description and person specification.

Benefits of working for Achieving for Children
As a social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Kingston, Richmond and Windsor & Maidenhead), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. We offer a range of excellent staff benefits, including generous annual leave entitlements, cycle to work scheme, annual season ticket loan, childcare vouchers, and discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres and much more.

The successful candidate will have access to;

• Excellent learning and development opportunities and schemes of support
• A competitive and desirable retention package (to include a generous local government pension scheme)
• Retention of continuous service benefits, for those moving from a local government post
• A clear progression path when key qualification milestones are reached
• Tools and models to support, including Signs of Safety
• Reflective supervision from an experienced management team

You will find out more about our organisation at

How to apply
Before applying please refer to the job description and person specification and ensure you meet the essential criteria. You will then need to complete the online application, adding a supporting statement addressing how you meet the criteria outlined the role profile.

Achieving for Children is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All candidates will be required to undertake a Criminal Record Check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. However, should you not declare an offence that is subsequently revealed, e.g. through the DBS check, then this may place your appointment in jeopardy.

Closing Date: 27th March 2018