Deputy Team Manager

Fixed Term for 12 months to cover a career break, Full Time 37 hours per week working 8.30am to 5.00pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8.30am to 4.30pm Fridays. 

Location: The post is primarily office based.   

It’s an exciting time to join our established team, as we embrace changes and get ready for the next stage of our transformation.  

First Assessment Service (First Response) is looking for a talented, motivated and experienced qualified Social Worker position within the First Response Team. 

First Response is the initial point of contact for professionals and members of the public to make referrals for children and young people in need of support or protection. Based within Bristol's City Hall, the team triage referrals into specialist safeguarding services and Family Help for Targeted Support, and offer information, advice and guidance to families and professionals about the right services to help children and their families. 

First Response is a stable, well established, and supportive team. You will work consistently alongside a team of advisors (some of which you will have line management responsibility for), other deputy managers, your team managers, and a small team of social workers.   We also work alongside our Edge of Care Service, Drugs and Young People's Project and Harm Outside the Home team, who are part of First Assessment Service. 

As a deputy team manager, you will be Social Work qualified and registered with Social Work England, with good practice experience. You will share responsibility with the team of deputy team managers for decision making and correct pathway identification for all contacts coming through our "front door". 

You will work closely with colleagues from other organisations in our "Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub", and with internal colleagues across children's services. 

You will have excellent risk assessment skills, a specific interest in short term / decision making work and will be able to support a team of non-social work qualified First Response Advisors in their safeguarding enquiries. 

You will advise on a range of referrals, from Family Help. Targeted Support Services who can provide support to children, young people and families to safeguarding referrals needing urgent escalation to social work teams.  

The work is pressurised and requires a capacity to absorb large amounts of complex information and make threshold decisions including when safeguarding referrals need to be progressed to a social work team.   

The service has close contact with Family Help, universal services, social care and multi-agency partnerships to ensure children and families receive a service appropriate to their needs.

You will need to possess: 

- A social work qualification and SW England registration. 
- A comprehensive knowledge of safeguarding practice and process. 
- Excellent decision-making skills. 
- An ability to work effectively with multi agency partners, universal and specialist services. 
- Good teamwork skills and a capacity to work under pressure. 
- A capacity to learn and develop in a management post. 

The current team are experienced and well supported by an experienced and stable management team and an effective working environment.

The work is interesting and challenging, but effective working relationships both within the team and the wider children’s services ensure this is a post which provides satisfaction. 
   

This post is an excellent opportunity for experienced Social Workers to take the next step into a managerial role and to learn about the tasks and responsibilities that come with this in a supportive environment, or for existing managers to bring their skill and experience to our team. As a fixed term post, this is a great opportunity to see if this role you might consider longer term.  

Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.

 
Why Bristol City Council? 

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high profile organisation. 

Join us and you’ll receive a generous rewards package including  membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future. 
 

How do I apply? 

If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey please select the apply button below. 

To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.

For permanent Bristol City Council employees, this post will be a secondment.

For employees who are currently on a fixed term contract with Bristol City Council, the secondment must not extend beyond the end of the fixed term period to ensure there is a substantive post to return to.

If you are currently a casual worker or a member of an employment agency (currently working with Bristol City Council) this post will be a fixed term contract.

We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

If you would like further information or an informal discussion please contact Sonia Gingell Service Manager at sonia.gingell@bristol.gov.uk

Bristol City Council strives to have a workforce that reflects the communities it serves, we are therefore committed to ensuring diversity in our hiring process. We welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit. 

The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.