Practice Manager

We are currently looking for a Practice Manager to join one of our 4 Court/Child Protection teams within our Safe and Supported service. This is a recently developed role in North Tyneside, created after listening to Team Managers and Social Workers to include a role which will support practitioners' development and their specialist assessment skills, and provide increased support to less experienced Social Workers and Team Managers. The Practice Manager role is a non-case holding post, however Practice Managers will complete bespoke pieces of work such as specialist parenting assessments, sibling assessments, and risk assessments. They will also be supported to develop areas of specialist interests to support wider practice across the Services. Practice Managers will work closely with their Team Managers to:

• Deputise for the Team Manager
• Work alongside colleagues to complete specialist assessments
• Model and develop Signs of Safety practice
• Provide support to ASYEs and less experienced workers in the Team
• Provide Group Supervision
• Provide supervision to Family Support workers in the Team
The Safe and Supported teams work with children and families where there is longer term involvement under Child in Need Plans, Child Protection Plans and within public and private Court proceedings. Safe and Supported teams support children until final plans of permanence are agreed. Children/young people with a plan of permanence outside the family via long-term fostering or long-term residential care transition to our Cared For teams; however the Safe and Supported teams continue to work with children with a plan of adoption until Adoption Orders are granted. We want the best for children, young people and families and we know to achieve this we have to provide the best for our staff. Safeguarding intervention is challenging and we want to make sure our staff feel safe in their practice. We offer small supportive team structure, where you benefit from a high level of practice guidance and oversight. In our 2024 Health Check, 100% of colleagues told us that they felt their line manager cared about their welfare. We encourage peer support from within your team. You will have access to regular group supervision. Senior managers are visible and accessible so you know you are never alone in the work that you do with children, young people and families.


• Will be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England.
• Will have at least 3 years' experience of working within statutory Children's Social Care and preferably have mentored or supervised at least a student or ASYE Social Worker previously.
• Will have an accredited post-qualifying Social Work award; it would be desirable if this was the Practice Educators award.
• Will be trained to complete Parenting Assessments of need, risks and strengths using specialised models such as CUBAS or Parent Assess.
• Will demonstrate calmness and resilience under pressure and to manage the stress of working with children subject to neglect and abuse.
In addition, the successful candidate will be:
• Able to engage positively with children and young people and families, gaining their trust and confidence.
• Able to facilitate multi-disciplinary groups, including strategy meetings and PLO meetings.
• Able to manage non-social work staff and to deputise for the team manager in supporting social work colleagues within the service.
• Able to represent the Service and Council effectively in a range of multi-professional settings, including the Family Courts, Child Protection Conferences and Child in Care Reviews.
  
  North Tyneside Children's Social Care is considered to be Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted. We want the best for our children and families, and would encourage you to join us in our commitment to continuously delivering the services that make a difference to children and young people.
In January 2025 Ofsted stated that "An unquestionable strength in North Tyneside is that leaders have created a culture where social workers can safely practice and do their best for children. This authentic approach by leaders and valued investment in the workforce mean that staff want to stay and make a positive difference to children's lives", Our People First strategy is our promise to make North Tyneside Council an exceptional place to work, where everyone can thrive and flourish. A place where people want to work, where joining our team is an exciting prospect, staying with us feels like a great decision, and building your career at North Tyneside Council is a natural progression. As part of our People First strategy, we are committed to creating a workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our success and the well-being of our employees and residents. Our goal is to foster an environment where everyone feels welcome, safe and valued. Together, we're crafting a workplace that's built on our values and a shared commitment to making a difference. If you are passionate and committed about making a difference and want to work somewhere where you can make positive change, we will provide the right environment for you to excel. Alongside our People First strategy, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and adults at risk of harm. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment and to familiarise themselves with all relevant policies, procedures and guidance. Within North Tyneside, safeguarding is everybody's business. Require a reasonable adjustment? If you feel a reasonable adjustment will provide additional support in both the recruitment process and within the workplace, please indicate this to the hiring manager on your application. Declaring a reasonable adjustment will not subject you to any form of discrimination when determining which applicants are successful for interview and employment with us. Our Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan In 2019, North Tyneside Council declared a climate emergency. This declaration set a target to reduce the carbon footprint of the council's operations, and the borough, by 50% by 2023 and to align to the Government's net zero target of 2050. We recognise the significant role we can play in the borough in helping to limit climate change, but we can't do this alone; we need help from all our residents, businesses, voluntary and community sectors and of course all those who apply and work for us. Together we can make North Tyneside a sustainable place to live and work for everyone in the borough.