Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Head of Learning Academy and Principal Social Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children's Services |
Service |
Learning and Partnership Hubs |
Business unit |
Learning Academy |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Divisional Director Learning and Partnership Hubs |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Divisional Director Learning and Partnership Hubs |
Salary grade |
O |
JE ref |
CS68 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To lead and develop the Torbay Children’s Social Work and Learning Academy (The Academy) to become a National Leader in staff development ensuring that there is a clear focus on purpose and outcomes.
- As a member of the Children’s Service Management Team, be an effective leader who ensures that the Academy is able to respond and shape the service’s development activity and by doing so play a vital role in its continuous improvement.
- To provide leadership and management of the Academy to ensure that it is fully conversant with policy, guidance, research and best practice learning (including creating opportunities for virtual learning). Ensuring that this is integrated into learning opportunities, and understood across Children’s Services.
- To ensure that the Academy supports social work intervention that is of a consistently high standard and meets the needs of children and families in Torbay.
- Responsible for providing regular progress and assurance reports to Elected Member scrutiny committees including the Torbay Safeguarding Children Partnership (TSCP) and to national bodies including the Social Work Reform Board and the Government appointed Chief Social Worker.
- Responsible for the development of a practice led culture of continual improvement.
- To ensure that the Academy is informed by the findings and recommendations of the work undertaken as the Principal Social Worker (PSW).
- Responsible for the Children’s Services Workforce Development Strategy and its continual development, ensuring regular review and the link to raising practice standards. Involving stakeholders appropriately in the development and evaluation of the plan.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Through partnership work with Heads of Service and Service Managers, the design, content, delivery and evaluation of the Academy and its development framework meets the needs of the service.
- Through collaborative work with the Quality Assurance hub, ensure that the learning and development framework reflects the findings and recommendations of quality assurance activity, new policy and guidance, research and best practice, the work of the PSW and outcomes from the national review process
- Effective, sustainable relationships are built with managers across the local authority and partner agencies (including universities) which identify and deliver the best learning interventions and solutions.
- Ongoing development and improvement which ensures that any issues of equality, diversity and identity are addressed appropriately by all social care staff.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
- To lead and manage the Academy team to agreed national and local standards. This includes ensuring the delivery of the Council’s performance management framework.
- As the PSW, champion professional social work practice within the Council, and contribute to developments at a regional and national level including liaison with the Government-appointed Chief Social Worker.
- To actively participate as a member of the Children’s Service Leadership Team and contribute to operational and strategic management of the service and, where required, the wider directorate and the Council.
- To take responsibility and be accountable for service delivery including meeting the requirements of the various regulatory bodies.
- To develop functional expertise in the Academy, ensuring there is continual awareness of research, policy, legislation and practice development.
- To oversee the assessment of Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) in line with the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) national standards and implement the intensive package of support ‘Steps to Success’.
- To design and deliver learning needs analysis to identify the training needs of children’s services colleagues and develop innovative and effective learning solutions.
- To establish a performance management framework for the Academy outcomes and oversee the collection, analysis and reporting against relevant performance requirements.
- Maintain records and comply with financial and administrative IT procedures, including working within the financial regulations to commission external providers to deliver training requirements.
- To oversee the design, organisation and delivery of practice workshops, and learning events, including creating opportunities for virtual learning.
- To develop and maintain effective relationships with partner Universities and other relevant seats of learning.
- To contribute to the review and update of Children’s Social Care policies and procedures in partnership with the Quality Assurance Hub.
- To lead on the learning and development framework and related policy development in partnership with, internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensure that all duties and responsibilities are discharged in accordance with the council’s policies and procedures, Code of Conduct and relevant regulations and legislation. To comply with the council’s equal opportunities and diversity policies ensuring anti-discriminatory practice within the service area.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
- Accountable for the Academy Budget (up to £2m) ensuring that the budget is allocated appropriately.
- To secure resources for the delivery of plans including creating and taking opportunities to gain external funding.
- To make optimal use of available resources in support of policy and strategy.
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- The Head of Academy will ensure that all staff within the Academy adhere to the supervision and appraisal policy, and implement any other relevant management procedures.
- Undertake direct Line Management responsibility for the following 8 posts:
- 1 x Learning Academy Relational Practice Lead
- 2 x Learning Academy Practice Educator and ASYE Lead
- 1 x Recruitment & Retention Manager
- 1 x Designated Social Care Officer
- 1 x Domestic Abuse Worker
- 1 x Learning and Development Lead
- 1 x Learning Academy Support Officer
- Overall responsibility for the whole Learning Academy team, comprising 18 posts. To ensure the following staff have appropriate management and supervision:
- Recruitment and Retention Lead
- Recruitment Support Officer
- Learning Management Systems Officer
- Learning and Development Support Officer
- Relational Practice Trainers x 2
- Participation worker x 2
- Apprentice Support Officer
- Young Corporate Parenting Lead
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal working conditions.
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External - Central Government, other Local Authorities, Other Public Sector Organisations, The Council’s auditors, Private and voluntary organisations and employers, Higher and Further Education Providers.
- Internal - Executive members, Other Elected Members, Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive, Directors, Senior Staff across the Council, Trade Unions, the Principal Social Worker, Employees at all levels across the Council.
10. Other duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.
Other Information
- All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council
- The post is eligible for hybrid working.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
- If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Head of Learning Academy and Principal Social Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children's Services |
Service |
Learning and Partnership Hubs |
Business unit |
Learning Academy |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Proven leadership ability.
- Highly developed analytical skills.
- Proven track record in innovation and problem solving.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to challenge, support and influence.
- Excellent reporting writing skills and the ability to present orally and in writing to a wide variety of audiences.
- Ability to think strategically and to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries.
- Planning and time management ability.
- Staff management skills, including change management.
- High level of IT skills.
- This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
N/A
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Detailed understanding of the function of social care services.
- Detailed knowledge of legislation, national guidance and procedures specific to Children’s Social Care.
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of current professional practice issues in relation to early help, children in need, child protection, children looked after and care leavers and the related interdependencies with partner agencies.
- An understanding of internal and external resources that can be accessed and deployed to ensure that the academy can achieve its organisational objectives.
- Thorough knowledge of how people use their learning styles to develop
- An extensive knowledge of social work practice models and associated tools.
- Knowledge and understanding of how changes in the economic, political, social and organisation climate can impact on the organisation.
Desirable knowledge
N/A
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Substantial experience in children and families work, and a demonstrable knowledge of complex work with children and their families.
- Extensive experience of working in partnership and multi-agency working.
- Experience of practice education / mentoring / coaching staff or students and enabling learning.
- Experience in the management of people and services.
- Experience of effectively managing budgets.
- Experience of setting and achieving organisation performance and standards.
- Experience of raising practice standards.
- Experience of developing and using data in securing service improvement.
- Experience in reporting writing.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience of leading change.
- Experience of project work.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Social Work Degree.
- Current Registration with Social Work England.
- A relevant academic qualification such as Post Qualifying Certificate in Practice Education and Enabling Others (or equivalent).
- Evidence of continued professional development.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Management qualification.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
- Ability to accommodate shift patterns.
- Ability to accommodate on-call working.
- Ability to accommodate occasional/ home-working.