Assistant Team Manager SAFER team (Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitation and Risk)

Job Introduction

About Us

Are you passionate about making a difference to children in Oxfordshire?

We are seeking an experienced and skilled Assistant Team Manager to join Oxfordshire County Council’s Safeguarding Adolescents From Exploitation and Risk (SAFER) Team. In this important role, you will supervise colleagues completing direct work with children and their families, where there are concerns regarding Child Criminal and Child Sexual Exploitation. You will chair the Multi Agency Exploitation Triage Meetings and be a key partner in the development of Oxfordshire County Council’s Exploitation offer to children, their families, Multi Agency partners and the wider community.

This pivotal role supports the delivery of the Oxfordshire Child Exploitation Process, with it's strong emphases on safeguarding, partnership working, early intervention and a desire to see children, families and communities thrive.

About the Role

• You will be working closely with the Team Manager and SAFER Team to ensure that children and their families, receive timely, high quality and relevant support and intervention to meet their needs and the reduce risks of exploitation.
• You will work with the Team Manager on the continual development, delivery and review of services for children, young people and their families, to ensure that Oxfordshire’s most vulnerable children to exploitation are protected from significant harm.
• You will be responsible for ensuring that practitioners' casework is in line with Oxfordshire’s Family Safeguarding practice model, including providing them with effective supervision and support.

About you

You will have the following abilities to:

• Faciltate the development and oversight of the SAFER team offer, alongside wider council policies, processes, practices and systems in respect of the Family Safeguarding Model
• Line Manage and provide high quality supervision to SAFER team practitioners
• Chair the Multi Agency Exploitation Triage meetings. You will ensure that children are escalated to the Multi Agency Child Exploitation Panel (MACE) or receive appropriate prevention interventions as required
• Work in partnership across agencies to identify and support children and their families, who are experiencing exploitation.
• Deliver relevant training to internal colleagues and external partners as appropriate
• Work with the Team Manager to implement appropriate systems and procedures to prioritise and manage demands on the team by allocating staff and resources appropriately
• Ensure Team members engage and build positive relationships with children, young people and families to ensure that their needs are at the heart of the service delivery.
• Respond to complaints/concerns raised about service delivery, within required timescales.
• Build and promote successful partnership working across agencies and with children, young people and their families, to deliver cost effective and valued services.
• Develop and embed a positive and healthy culture within the team, to ensure targets are met and performance is effectively managed.
• Provide positive leadership, acting with openness, honesty and integrity, and instilling a clear sense of direction, priority and pace.  
• Ensure that team members consistently work in accordance with anti-discriminatory and oppressive practice principles, challenging discrimination when required.

Rewards and benefits

• Technology to facilitate agile working
• 30 day’s holiday p.a. plus bank holidays 
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Local government pension scheme
• Range of family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Excellent learning and development opportunities

Our commitment to:
 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact: tim.thomas@oxfordshire.gov.uk