Team Manager

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Beacon House Ipswich IP1 5PB or Riverside Lowestoft NR33 0EQ with hybrid working
• Salary: 55563 per annum (pro rata for part-time working)
• Hours: 37 hours per week flexible working options available
• Contract: Fixed term or secondment for 6 months to support the implementation of the Families First model

At Suffolk County Council every role is a chance to create positive change. As Team Managerwithin our temporary High Demand Team you will see the direct impact of your work on children families and the services that support them.

You will lead a flexible and responsive team that provides additional capacity to Family Help services experiencing increased demand. This is an opportunity to apply your professional leadership and social work expertise in a role that supports service resilience and helps children and families receive timely effective support.

The role will provide additional management capacity within the High Demand Team to ensure service resilience effective demand management and the successful embedding of new practice approaches during the transition period.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

The High Demand Team provides flexible countywide support to Family Help services helping to manage periods of increased demand and ensuring children and families receive the right support at the right time.

As Team Manager you will lead a skilled and dedicated team providing professional leadership oversight and support across Suffolk. Working closely with colleagues and partners you will help manage demand maintain high standards of practice and drive positive outcomes for children and families.

You will:

• lead and develop the High Demand Team providing flexible support where demand is greatest
• oversee safeguarding risk workload management and service performance
• provide reflective supervision practice leadership and professional challenge
• embed psychologically informed strengths-based and relationship-led practice
• build strong partnerships across Family Help and wider childrens services
• support staff development service improvement and positive outcomes for children and families.

Were looking for an experienced and confident social work leader who can inspire others respond effectively to changing priorities and maintain a strong focus on achieving the best outcomes for children and families.

You will need:

• a relevant Social Work qualification and current Social Work England registration
• significant experience within Childrens Services including Social Care Fieldwork Family Help safeguarding assessment child protection or other frontline childrens services teams
• substantial experience of leading managing and developing staff within a childrens social care setting
• a strong understanding of legislation safeguarding assessment risk management and child protection practice
• the ability to provide reflective supervision professional challenge and clear practice leadership
• experience of managing competing priorities resources and service pressures to achieve positive outcomes
• strong partnership-working analytical communication and decision-making skills
• experience of managing risk performance and service improvement within a complex environment.

It would be beneficial if you also have:

• experience of leading change and service transformation
• an understanding of Signs of Safety strengths-based and solution-focused approaches
• knowledge of psychologically informed and evidence-based intervention models
• experience of working effectively with partner agencies and multidisciplinary teams.

You can view the full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile which you will find in the How to apply section towards the bottom of this advert.

The team

Our Family Help teams are multidisciplinary bringing together social workers and practitioners to provide early help safeguarding and support to children and families.

The High Demand team is a flexible countywide resource that provides additional support where service demand is greatest. It responds to fluctuations in caseload volume across Family Help services helping teams maintain timely and effective support for children and families.

Through a strengths-based relationship-led and psychologically informed approach the team supports service resilience contributes to the delivery of the Family First model and promotes positive outcomes for children and families.

You will join a supportive and collaborative service that values learning professional development and continuous improvement.

Take a look at what makes our Ideal Worker shaped by the voices of young people: find out more.

Empowering Everyone

Werebig believers in potentialpossibilityand the power of different searching for ways to encourage respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want torepresentthe diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation as shown inourWorkforce Equality Report.

For more information

Please contactNathalie Richfor a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling or

If you want to apply for a secondment read the secondment policy first. Make sure you get permission from your current manager beforesubmittingyour application.

How to apply

Step 1 -Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP)

Step 2 -Click Apply Now to start your online application.

Step 3 -Upload asupporting statementanswering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use theSupporting Statement template (Word).

1. This role leads a High Demand Team that provides additional capacity across Family Help services. How would you ensure consistent standards of practice while deploying staff flexibly across different localities and responding to changing service pressures
2. Describe how you have used supervision coaching or professional challenge to improve practitioner performance strengthen decision-making and promote
   high-quality practice.
3. Please describe your experience of leading a childrens social care or Family Help service through a period of increased demand. How did you manage
   capacity maintain service performance and ensure positive outcomes for children and families

Please note:Without a supporting statement your interest will not be supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

For guidance on completing your application please seeourHow to Apply page.

Planning to useArtificial Intelligence (AI)Please ensure your applicationstillreflects your own skillsexperienceand used inappropriately your application may not be processed. Please readourguidance for using AIto understandwhatsacceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to applyIf you are disabled and/or haveadditionalsupport needs you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team ator.You can find examples ofpossible adjustmentsonourReasonable Adjustment pages.

Closing date:11.30pm27 September 2026

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this (Disclosure and Barring Service)checks or police vetting will berequiredfor relevant posts.