Job title: Service Delivery Manager

Area Social Work (child protection – West Leeds) x 2 posts

Integrated Safeguarding Unit x 1 post

Child Health and Disability Team x 1 post

Salary: £58,605 - £64,262

Hours: 37 (full time)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Leeds (various office bases)

As a Service Delivery Manager, you’ll thrive on leading and inspiring teams and driving restorative practice. You will be passionate about working to bring everyone together to create a Child Friendly Leeds and be aligned with the Best City Ambition. In this strategic role you will model skills in relationship building, developing positive working partnerships and demonstrate your social work values throughout your work. You will look to ensuring best practice and being innovative in your approach.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Service Delivery Manager, you will:

• Be experienced in leading and managing a social work team/service to ensure the welfare of children and young people are safeguarded and promoted and statutory duties are met.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and be a critical thinker.
• Be skilled in developing and establishing effective working relationships with key partners.
• Have experience of analysing data and key performance indicators to support continual service improvement and development.
• Ability to report on service performance and develop improvement plans.
• Have a positive can-do attitude to challenges and change and ability to enthuse and motivate others.
• Be child centred and restorative in your approach and committed to working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.
• Be ambitious for your service, have excellent organisational skills and be able to share your skills and knowledge to develop others and your service.

About the role

For the area post, you will play a key role in overseeing the performance and quality of practice of multiple social work teams across a service area. You will ensure positive outcomes for children and young people, ensuring that social work teams are meeting the statutory requirements set through legislation, national and regional guidance in respect of children in need, child protection and children Looked After. This will be in collaboration with key partner agencies and services.

For the Integrated Safeguarding post, you will play a key role in leading a team of Safeguarding and Reviewing Officers, Fostering Reviewing Officers, and the Independent Visitors Scheme. You will have a passion for promoting the welfare of children looked after ensuring the highest quality of service. The role will include effectively ensuring that the service provide an overview of how it has effectively represented children looked after to the Children and Families Senior Leadership Team, Corporate Parenting Board, and elected members. The role will include working closely with key partners and services and support ongoing service improvement.

For the Child Health and Disability (CHAD) post, there are three locality social work teams, the Regional Specialist Team and the Occupational Therapy Team.

The CHAD social work teams work to the same statutory requirements as other social work teams. Each team undertakes assessments, safeguarding and care planning activities. In line with statutory safeguarding procedures and investigations, the teams work directly with children who need help and protection and those subject to care proceedings. They also work with children who are looked after by the local authority.

The Regional Specialist Team, based in the hospital, provides emotional and practical support to children and young people with specific medical conditions, and their families.

The children and young people may be from Leeds but the team also work with those from other local authorities who are receiving specialist treatment at Leeds General Infirmary through specialist hospital departments which include the Renal, Oncology, Haemophilia, and Cystic Fibrosis Care and the Paediatric Intensive Care teams.

The Occupational Therapy (OT) Team covers the whole of Leeds and assess the long-term needs of children, young people and their parents and carers. They can recommend equipment and adaptations to the home as well as advising families on safe moving and handling techniques.

The Service Delivery Manager in CHAD works as part of a team of committed and experienced team managers and staff, within a challenging landscape for children with disabilities and complex needs. We make a big difference to the lives of the most vulnerable children in our City.  If you are an experienced manager with the drive and enthusiasm to lead this service, please get in touch.

You will be joining a highly motivated and committed Senior Leadership Team. Our vision is for Leeds to be the best city in the UK and the best city for children and young people to grow up in. Through our vision and obsessions, we invest in children and young people to help build an increasingly prosperous and successful city.  We aim to improve outcomes for all our children whilst recognising the need for outcomes to improve faster for children and young people from vulnerable and deprived backgrounds.

Children’s Social Work in Leeds is underpinned by a culture of restorative practice and working with our children and families.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements

• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form and clearly specify if you are applying for one of the area roles, the post in the Integrated Safeguarding Unit or the post in the Child Health and Disability team.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the area roles please contact Jade Lamb, Head of Service. Call 0113 3785704 or email jade.lamb@leeds.gov.uk

In relation to the Integrated Safeguarding Unit post please contact Donna Williams, Head of Service. Call 0113  3785266 or email donna.williams@leeds.gov.uk

In relation to the Child Health and Disability post please contact Hilary Suddes, Head of Service. Call 0113 0113 3785585 or email hilary.suddes@leeds.gov.uk

The closing date for application is Wednesday 6^th November 2024 with a view to holding interviews Friday 15^th November 2024.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job purpose Provide a key local leadership role for discrete teams of professional social work staff within a designated area to ensure the effective delivery of a high standard of social work centred around the needs of children and young people which ensures that statutory duties and responsibilities of the Local Authority are being met, in line with the Children and Young Peoples Plan. 

Working as part of the leadership team you will model values and behaviours to help to achieve our ambition to become the best city in the country, and aspiration shared across our partners to become a child friendly city. You will deliver your own core statutory responsibilities and work with and support your colleagues in delivering our collective responsibilities of keeping all children safe.

• Support the active involvement of children and young people and families in how Children’s Services are delivered and how they contribute to the ambitions of the Council as set out in the Best City Ambition for Leeds, ensuring that children and young people have a voice, and their views are heard.
• Lead and drive on area based service improvement which ensures that the service works effectively, innovatively and collaboratively across the wider service and its partners.

• Lead on the strategic and operational management of multi-agency approach centred around the needs of children and young people throughout the city especially those who are most vulnerable. effectively leading and directing teams within prescribed political and governance processes.

• Lead day to day service delivery and the continuous development and improvement of specified provider services in accordance with agreed targets and objectives included in council and service plans.
• Provide leadership on safeguarding with the requirements of Children Act 1989 & 2004, Working Together 2023 and any subsequent legal version updates to ensure a child friendly and child focused approach.
• Ensure that your leadership and service culture adopts an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory approach. Developing and embedding anti-racist practice and in your role leading in committing to achieving an anti-racist organisation
• Lead and manage, both organisationally and professionally, the delivery of all services in specified service areas, which may be defined functionally and or geographically ensuring the effective and timely communication of key messages to teams.
• Deliver better outcomes against professional standards within a context of resource availability.
• Provide direction and support and set clear objectives to immediate line reports.
• Foster and develop a climate of shared accountabilities, learning and continuous improvement.
• Effectively sustain a culture that consistently meets the needs of and engages with, children, families, and staff to meet the business needs of the directorate.
• Be a champion of Leeds aspiration and ambition to become a child friendly city.
• Ensure the effective management and implementation of robust performance management processes to ensure the delivery of outcomes within an evidence-based model.
• Ensure the management and implementation of regular formal quality assurance, audit and performance management and reporting through the use of effective management information systems and ensure this meets statutory requirements.
• Make a significant contribution in the directorates goal to deliver ‘good’ or equivalent outcomes from external inspections, reviews and assessments.
• Lead the development and implementation of local service plans as part of the overall directorate, corporate and partnership framework.
• Positively and effectively, lead, shape and influence the team to deliver the vision and goals of the Children’s and Young Peoples Plan
• Ensure that teams work collaboratively and effectively within local partnership arrangements.
• Build strong and dynamic local relationships and networks and build trust with individuals and partner agencies to deliver better outcomes for all children and young people particularly those who are vulnerable and have the most complex needs.
• Lead effective multi-agency locality-based relationships which underpin safe and effective services for children in Leeds.
• Ensure all aspects of people management within the service, creating an organisational climate of high performance, shared accountabilities, learning and continuous improvement which meets the needs of, and engages with, children, families, communities and staff ensuring that excellent people management practices are embedded throughout the service.
• Deliver partnership working through integrated practice for effective service delivery, ensuring compliance with joint protocols and provide specialist advice as appropriate to partner agencies and integrated services.
• Develop and promote services and practice improvements which are designed to mitigate risk and provide qualitative improvement to the outcomes for children.
• Represent Senior Leadership Team as and when required to provide briefings to local ward Members and MPs and represent on all matters relating to the leadership, management and development of the service at a local and city wide level.
• Build strong and dynamic relationships and networks and build trust with individuals and partner agencies to deliver better outcomes for Leeds City Council.
• In line with the Budget Management Accountability Framework to be responsible and accountable for all financial resources within the service area ensuring value for money and working within financial regulations
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate to the grade.

Qualifications Appropriate professional qualification (DipSW, Degree, CQSW or equivalent).  You should be registered with Social Work England upon commencement of the post and maintain registration.

Working Context

Post holders will work flexibly both at home and at various locations across the City and region. All colleagues should work in line with our hybrid working principles and spend regular time in the workplace to support service delivery, meeting the needs of the team and the requirements of their individual role.  The hours are worked mainly Monday to Friday. However, the post holder will be expected to work outside normal working hours, including attendance at evening/weekend meetings or events if required to meet the needs of the service.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

• Able to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Able to demonstrate ability to make difficult decisions, and be held accountable, and comfortable managing targets and outputs.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility for the team, enhance its reputation, and to form positive relationships.
• Able to employ a range of leadership styles which focus on achieving results in terms of outcomes for children and young people.
• Able to demonstrate examples of managing services and achieving quality transformational outcomes.
• Able to manage competing priorities, ensuring delivery on a range of programmes and adapting to changing circumstances.
• Demonstrate an understanding of relevant inspection regimes and evaluation frameworks, and experience of delivering successful outcomes.
• Knowledge of local issues impacting upon the service and demonstrate associated linkages with the needs of children and young people in the locality.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the Child Friendly City concept and the voice and influence of children and young people to underpin this.
• Experience and knowledge of working relationally and restoratively within the context of services to children, young people and families
• Knowledge and understanding of using results-based accountability methodology.
• Knowledge of applicable, legislation, regulations, policies, inspections and performance information
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of economic strategy and policy, understanding of local government political systems and experience of working on politically sensitive issues.
• Experience of senior leadership and management relevant to area of service delivery
• Experience of strategic and operational resource management including the evaluation of competing priorities and managing accountabilities
• Significant experience of leading change programmes, driving up standards and performance
• Significant experience and commitment in relation to engagement in decision making processes.
• Substantial experience of delivering a multi-disciplinary service at a senior level, driven by service user requirements, delivering customer focused outcomes and excellent customer satisfaction results.
• Experience of having lead and managed professional social work teams, promoting a ‘can do’ attitude and an environment of continuous improvement, leading to successful outcomes for children
• Significant experience of developing productive working relationships with Council Members, trade unions and Corporate Leadership Team

Behavioural & other Characteristics required.

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Be aware of promote and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection.
• Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the behaviours, values and standards of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council Leeds City Council Equality and diversity.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety.