Assistant Team Manager - MASH

Overview

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Assistant Team Manager to take the next step in their professional career with a well-established and progressive local authority.

You will join a motivated, lively, fast-paced MASH team focused on making a difference in children’s lives and keeping them safe from harm.

You will have previous management or supervisory experience with MASH and/or substantial experience working within a MASH Service as a social worker. You will have a Social Work Qualification and be able to supervise staff and lead on change.

You will be innovative, solution-focused, and committed to making a difference in children’s lives.

You will be enthusiastic about ensuring that children are safe from harm and that the right services are in place to improve their outcomes. You will be confident in risk identification and response. You will be a skilled decision-maker, experienced in child protection social work.

In return, you will receive effective and supportive line management and regular quality supervision.

You will be part of a strong management team within the MASH working alongside other ATMs and reporting to a Team Manager. You will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the MASH as part of a collaborative approach with your fellow ATMs, and for driving performance. Managing and supervising a pod of MASH staff including Contact and Referral Officers and qualified, experienced Social Workers. You will ensure all referrals are appropriately assessed, reviewed, and responded to within the statutory timescale, keeping the child at the heart of your decision-making.

You will chair strategy meetings and work closely with our multi-disciplinary partners to ensure that children receive the right service, at the right time from the right person.

You will work closely with the Assessment Teams to ensure children and families are effectively transferred with appropriate risk assessments, priority status, and initial recommendations.

You will provide a professional and high-quality guidance and advice service on matters concerning safeguarding children as required, providing this in a timely, collaborative, and consistent manner, to both partners and families.

You will assist MASH staff to ensure children not reaching the threshold for social care are given appropriate guidance or signposted to other services.

You will be responsible for the effective supervision of staff within the team, ensuring that supervision facilitates reflective practice and the development of high-quality standards, linked to positive outcomes for children.

You will assist the Team Manager in the ongoing development of the MASH Team.

Please see the job description attached for full details.

About us

By working with us, you are part of something bigger – contributing to the local community, whatever your role. Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement. As one of the biggest local authorities in the UK, we are part of a network of partners spanning both public and private sectors.

Our work matters, and together, we can achieve big things.

As well as making a real difference to the communities you serve, you’ll also be offered:

• A 'Golden Hello' lump sum upon successful completion of probation
• competitive pay with a market increment, in line with the council’s performance pay scheme
• the opportunity to earn a bonus with ‘exceptional’ and ‘outstanding’ performance
• a generous employer pension contribution of 24.6% in line with the Local Government Pension Scheme
• staff discount at local gyms, restaurants, theatres, coffee shops, beauty salons and more
• discounts on local bus travel
• discount on O2 phone contracts and Microsoft Home Use Programme
• a car leasing scheme to those who are eligible and have completed their probation period
• a wealth of online learning modules on our Learning Hub
• targeted training for managers
• ambitious personal development plans and a coaching performance framework that focuses on your development
• personal development opportunities such as: buddying; shadowing others across teams and services; school/college outreach; conducting mock interviews; attending careers fairs; attending and hosting insights sessions and volunteering

We know time away from work is important. All of our roles come with:

• up to 25 days annual leaves increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service (annual leave allowance will vary for schools staff)
• the chance to purchase 10 days extra annual leave a year
• enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• paid foster care and carers leave
• time off for public duties, including for school governors and military reserves
• the opportunity to apply for sabbaticals
• up to three days paid volunteering a year
• the opportunity to get involved in plenty of fundraising events

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Amy McKenzie at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on 29th May 2024

• All unspent cautions and convictions cautions
• All adult cautions and spent convictions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) guidance or Ministry of Justice (MOJ) guidance (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values

Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative, and Trustworthy. These are the values that underpin everything that we do and how we work with each other and the communities we support.

Our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation. From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued.

When you join us, you can benefit from the following networks:

• Armed Forces staff network – an Armed Forces community for reservists, service families, veterans and cadets
• Carers’ staff network – a safe environment for carers to meet with other carers, creating a valuable opportunity to discuss the issues you may be facing
• Disability and Wellness staff network – support for our disabled colleagues, to make sure their voice is heard and to ensure the council is offering an inclusive environment that suits the needs of all colleagues
• LGBT+ staff network – The LGBT+ staff network aims to support the views of all staff who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, bigender and non-binary, as well LGBT+ allies
• Race Equality staff network – a network to reflect the diversity of staff across the council, ensuring all voices are represented and heard, whilst increasing visibility on the experiences we are keen to tackle

We recognise and reward you

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

Our commitment to work-life balance and adapting ways of working is shaping our working lives for the better. So, from the moment you join us, we’ll support you to be the best you.

• our flexible working scheme promotes a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.
• we have a robust Employee Assistance Programme where you can receive confidential counselling for professional and personal matters
• you can access support from our in-house trained Mental Health First Aiders (and be offered the opportunity to train as one)
• we are an employer who is committed to raising awareness of Mental Health, and have signed the Champion the Change pledge
• we offer a Cycle to Work scheme
• you have access to our Menopause Café and ongoing menopause guidance