Team Leader (Hertfordshire LD Services)

Recruiting a Team Leader to join our Learning Disabilities service in Hertfordshire!

GBP 28,000 per annum plus 25 days Annual Leave, Pension schemes, Staff discounts, healthcare and more

This role is a 40 hour per week.

We are looking for a passionate and creative Team Leader to lead on the delivery of a high quality supported living service for a customer with learning disabilities and Autism. This customer is moving into a new home in Welwyn Garden City and needs a Team Leader with excellent leadership skills to manage a team of Support Workers, who will support them to build their new life and develop their skills as an independent person. You will work closely with the Contract Manager to ensure that the service delivers on all targets, both financial and those around the quality of the service.

Key Responsibilities:

- Leading and motivating the team of support workers to provide excellent support and deliver meaningful outcomes in line with the customer's Life Plan;
- Establishing and maintaining an appropriate culture of least restrictive practice, positive behavioural support, respect and dignity, choice and control and total communications approaches;
- Delivering supervisions and facilitating team meetings with staff to ensure information sharing, problem solving and effective communication;
- Holding responsibility for the personal development of staff, identifying high performers and feeding into the organisations succession plans;
- Developing rotas and ensuring appropriate cover;
- Ensuring that Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) required as part of the Contract are met and recorded correctly;
- Leading on the ongoing review and monitoring of the customer's needs and progress;
- Leading on communications with a range of key stakeholders including family and social work professionals;
- Developing key relationships with all appropriate relevant external parties to ensure service delivery excellence and maximise new business opportunities in own patch;
- Providing hands-on support for 32 hours of the week, role modelling excellent support and providing coaching to support workers;
- Carrying out other administrative tasks as relevant to the service and directed by the Contract Manager;
- Delivering an out of hours on-call service for the region, where required;
- Ensuring that all safeguarding cases are managed in line with safeguarding protocols and are reported to Contract / Operations Managers, as appropriate;
- Adhering to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care, Support & Housing plus those specific to the project including any statutory requirements.

Hands-on support duties will include:

- Supporting the customer to undertake a full timetable of preferred activities including art, visiting galleries, attending community groups, visiting local amenities, and introducing her to new activities to expand her horizons and networks;
- Developing the customer's independent living skills and involving them in all aspects of maintaining and developing their home, including cooking, shopping, cleaning and decorating
- Enabling the customer to keep up with the important people in their life and to meet new people with shared interests;
- Supporting the customer to communicate their wants and needs, and communicating with them in a person-centred way;
- Supporting the customer to manage their anxieties and frustrations, using Positive Behaviour Support and Autism-specific approaches;
- Driving the customer to activities using their vehicle, in rotation with the wider team;
- Collating a range of behavioural data and essential paperwork to be analysed within our local management structure;
- Communicating with family members and a range of other key stakeholders including social work, psychology and commissioning teams;
- Acting in accordance with the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care & Support plus those specific to the service including any statutory requirements;
- Consistently reviewing the customer's life goals and their progress towards achieving them, in partnership with them and those important to them;
- Delivering personal care;
- Undertaking any other duties as requested by management.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

Person Specification:

- Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, networks in local business community
- Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour
- Prefers working as part of a group or team
- Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
- Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
- Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
- Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
- Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
- Is passionate and enthusiastic about his/her career and job experiences
- Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

Essential:

- Educated to degree level or equivalent
- 2 / 3 years experience within a health and social care environment, preferably with some supervisory / management experience
- Driving Licence and a willingness to drive as part of support duties

Desirable:

- Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications are desirable