Early Help Assistant Team Manager

Overview

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for children, young people and families? Do you thrive on leading others, promoting high standards of practice and working collaboratively across services?

We are looking for an Early Help Assistant Team Manager to play a pivotal role within our Locality‑Based Early Help teams. This is an exciting opportunity to support and manage a dedicated team of Child and Family Workers, helping families to achieve positive, sustainable change at an early stage.

Working countywide in a mobile role, you’ll be at the heart of multi‑agency collaboration, contributing to innovative and effective early help services that make a real difference.

This is a fixed term/secondment position until October 2027.

Take a look at our Children's Social Care Candidate Pack to learn more about working in Children's Services at Buckinghamshire Council.

About us

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.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As an Early Help Assistant Team Manager, you will support the Team Manager in delivering high‑quality, timely Early Help services (up to Level 3 family support). You’ll provide clear management oversight, guidance and supervision, ensuring families receive coordinated, effective support that meets both service standards and statutory requirements.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Day‑to‑day management and supervision of Child and Family Workers, promoting a reflective and supportive team culture
• Supporting staff development through supervision, performance reviews, recruitment and induction
• Ensuring high standards of practice, robust decision‑making and effective risk management
• Maintaining oversight of case work, performance, quality assurance and data recording
• Leading or contributing to service improvement initiatives and small‑to‑medium projects
• Building strong relationships with partner agencies and representing the service at multi‑agency forums
• Contributing to the ongoing development of Early Help and Locality‑Based working

Safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and young people will sit at the centre of everything you do.

About you

You’ll bring substantial experience of working with children, young people and families, alongside a strong understanding of Early Help, safeguarding and relevant legislative frameworks. Comfortable managing complexity, you’ll be confident making evidence‑informed decisions and supporting others to deliver their best work.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has proven experience managing, developing and motivating teams
• Has strong knowledge of Early Help, child protection procedures and partnership working
• Is skilled in supervision, performance management and quality assurance
• Can manage competing priorities and oversee workloads effectively
• Communicates confidently, building positive relationships with families and professionals
• Values collaboration, continuous improvement and reflective practice

You’ll be educated to degree level (or equivalent), with a relevant professional qualification or significant experience in the service area, and a commitment to ongoing professional development. A full driving licence and the ability to travel across the county are essential.

If you’re ambitious, collaborative and driven by making a meaningful difference to children and families, we’d love to hear from you.

Other information

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

Closing date: Midnight on Friday 29th May

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.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions 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 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

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

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we 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. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/