Achieving for Children are seeking out an experienced interim Service Manager to lead their Single Point of Access. The Service Manager for the Single Point of Access (SPA) will provide strategic and operational leadership to the following multi-agency practitioners within SPA.

• Social work qualified practitioners of various experience.
• Contact information officers & Business Support
• The Return Home Service
• Multi agency safeguarding Hub - MASH, which included police, CAMHS, Housing, Education, Health as well as virtual partners from schools, probation, adults
• The Safeguarding lead for vulnerable adolescents where the risk posed is extra familial.

The SPA is the gateway for all incoming contacts into children's services and a key team in supporting, liaising and enabling partner agencies in understanding their roles and identifying safeguarding concerns. The SPA receives and records incoming information and works in partnership with police; various health professionals; probation, housing and adult services to share information so that we can together provide a co-ordinated, appropriate and timely response. In accordance with AfC Joint Thresholds and the Pan-London Child Protection Thresholds, and sharing information using Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) protocols, the SPA collates information and recommends the most appropriate services in response to enquiries: referring to our early help or statutory services; or signposting to other services. The SPA is the team that makes decisions on threshold for all referrals into the service.

Lead the team to ensure that child safeguarding risks are identified and responded to effectively; and that those who require advice from us; have concerns about a child; or wish to make a referral to us receive timely and appropriate responses.

The post holder will lead, manage and develop the Return Interview service ensuring that children who are missing from home or care are all met with within the expected timescales and that they have robust safety plans.

To be the strategic and operational lead for the Multi Agency Risk Vulnerability and Exploitation Panel (MARVE) ensuring there are policies and processes in place for the collaborative arrangements with a wide range of partners as well as working jointly with the LSCB to lead on this initiative.

The post holder will lead, manage and support the development of the new Safeguarding role within the team focusing on vulnerable adolescents where the risk is extra familial (contextual safeguarding) enabling this role to lead in providing advice, guidance and support to senior officers, front line practitioners and multi-agency partners in ensuring that robust systems are in place to respond to the issue of risk faced by young people within their networks and community.

If you are interested in this role please send your updated CV in the first instance.