Job Purpose

The RAS Service Manager has a lead responsibility for ensuring social workers working with children in need and their families understand and fulfil their duties and responsibilities arising from the relevant legislation and Working Together to safeguard children and young people and to protect them from significant harm.

The post holder provides professional leadership and operational line management for 7 teams designed and resourced to work collaboratively with others to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable children and young people living in Wandsworth.

The main purpose of the post is to ensure that direct social work services are managed within available resources to maintain outstanding quality and performance in service delivery.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

1. To provide strong leadership for the service based on a clear vision for the service, clarity of standards and outcomes to be achieved.
2. To maintain up to date detailed knowledge of legislation and national policy and ensure both the divisional management team and the service are briefed on changes.
3. To have lead accountability for ensuring the Council and its partners comply with all national policy, legislation, statutory guidance and specific court orders in respect of children in need and child protection.

4. To have lead responsibility for ensuring the service operates in a way which safeguards children and is fully compliant with our procedures
5. Provide professional leadership in safeguarding and child protection to staff and managers in the Referral and Assessment Service, in order assure the quality, effectiveness and appropriateness of social work provided by the RAS social care teams; ensuring that all social work intervention is conducted in accordance with legislative requirements, the Department's Practice Standards, all relevant policies and procedures and agreed performance targets.

6. Deliver and develop children's social work services in line with national and local policies and priorities, including the implementation of all relevant legislation, regulations and guidance.

7. To provide high quality reflective professional supervision and appraisal to direct reports which results in consistent high standards of casework across the Service and assure the quality and effectiveness of supervision provided to RAS staff, and support CPD.

8. Hold lead responsibility for the achievement of all performance indicators and targets relevant to the Service and to report on these to the Head of Service and where appropriate to the Assistant Director for Children and Families and the Divisional Management Team in line with the requirements of the post.

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