Team Manager (Cared for Children, Safeguarding and Children with Disabilities)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade J. Scale 40 - £51,356 to Scale 43 - £54,495 with a professional bar at Scale 41 - £52,413**

Hours Per Week: 36

Base Location: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6BH

Assessment Date: Panels will be held on 4^th,11^th and 18^th September 2026

Please indicate on your supporting statement your area of interest: Safeguarding, Cared for Children or Children with Disabilities.

The Role

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and families? Do you bring Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation, and Courage to your practice? If so, Tameside is looking for you.

This is an exciting time to join Tameside Children's Services as we continue our improvement journey and shape our services around the ambitions of the Families First reforms. We are looking for experienced and inspiring Team Managers to lead and develop social work teams across our Safeguarding, Cared for Children and Children with Disabilities Services.

A New Way of Working

At Tameside, our Heart of Support Practice Approach is at the centre of everything we do. Underpinned by our 5 Cs: Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation and Courage, we are committed to creating meaningful relationships with children and families that lead to lasting change.

We are also launching an exciting programme of systemic practice training across our workforce. This investment will support you and your team to think differently, work relationally, and place children within the context of their wider family and support networks. The systemic approach aligns strongly with the Families First reforms, helping us strengthen family-led solutions, build on existing strengths, and reduce the need for intervention wherever possible.

As a Team Manager, you will play a key role in embedding this approach, creating a culture of reflection, learning, and high-quality practice that delivers excellent outcomes for children and families.

What You'll Bring

You will be an experienced and confident leader with:

• A recognised social work qualification and substantial experience within statutory children's services.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and safeguarding frameworks.
• Expertise in identifying and responding to all forms of harm, including extra-familial harm and exploitation.
• A commitment to relationship-based and strengths-based practice.
• The ability to work collaboratively with children, families, communities and partner agencies.
• A passion for anti-discriminatory practice and promoting inclusive services that reflect the diverse needs of families.
• A relentless focus on ensuring children's voices, experiences and best interests are at the heart of decision-making.
• The ability to inspire, support and develop staff through high-quality supervision, reflective practice and effective leadership.

Why Tameside?

At Tameside, we are ambitious for our children, families and workforce. We are creating an environment where social workers can thrive, feel valued, and do the work they came into the profession to do.

You will receive:

A comprehensive induction and tailored support from your Service Manager.

• Access to high-quality systemic practice training and professional development opportunities.
• Regular reflective supervision and leadership support.
• The opportunity to shape and influence practice as we embed the Families First reforms.
• A collaborative culture where learning, innovation and improvement are encouraged.

If you are ready to lead with courage, champion systemic practice, and help shape the future of children's services in Tameside, we'd love you to join us.

About Us

Message from Jill Colbert, Director of Children’s Services

“I joined the council at the beginning of 2025 and was instantly charmed by the warmth, openness, and energy of colleagues.

“I came to Tameside for one reason; because I know we can do fantastic things for our families here.

“We’re a children’s service on a significant improvement journey. We know what needs to be different for our children and families and we’re ambitious to deliver that change.

“We have a growing range of specialist services for children, where you can test and grow your skills and practice. We have a Social Work Academy that is led by people who bring passion to learning and who know that the DCS’ of the future are right in front of them. We are working on our progression pathways so that staying in Tameside is rewarded and recognised. We have investment in innovation and improvement from the council so that we can grow services and support for families that we can sustain, from family hubs through to complex safeguarding.

“I am so certain that we can build a proud, inclusive and safe climate for great practice to flourish in Tameside. I’d love you to join me on the journey here at Team Tameside.”

At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive, self-sufficient communities.

We recognise that our people drive our success and enable the organisation to deliver on its vision, purpose and priorities, and that our people are our most important resource and asset. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours, and are at the heart of everything that we do; and we understand that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We pride ourselves on living by our STRIVE values of Support, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Value Diversity and Engage. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours and are at the heart of everything that we do. How we do things are just as important as what we do.

Our employees’ skills, experience and knowledge are essential to our success along with their happiness, wellbeing, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to be the best they can.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. This position is subject to Enhanced with Barred List Disclosure Procedures.

** This post is classified as being in a professional job category. As such the grade for the job has a professional grade development bar which employees can progress through subject to meeting the following criteria:

1. Relevant professional qualification for the job role at Level 6 or above AND a management qualification, AND

2. Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in the role, AND

3. Maintained membership of a regulated body where this is a requirement to practice in the role where applicable, AND

4. Professional standards practised to the highest expected level.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the 'About You' or 'Supporting Statement' section of your application.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to developing a culture which respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential. We are proud to be an accredited disability confident employer. Reasonable Adjustments will be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the Job Role Criteria.

Our rewards and benefits package can be viewed here

We have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please click here for more information on our guaranteed assessment scheme.

For further information about this role please contact the recruiting manager Philip Wilkinson on philip.wilkinson@tameside.gov.uk or Nazia Kousar on Nazia.Kousar@tameside.gov.uk