Location
London Borough of Sutton

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
£57,402 per annum

About the Borough
The London Borough of Sutton is situated less than 30 minutes by train from Central London, with direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge. Located in zone 5 with excellent transport links, Sutton boasts award-winning parks and open spaces, low crime rates, affordable housing, and great schools. The borough enjoys high levels of resident engagement and satisfaction, providing quality services while successfully addressing financial challenges and involving residents in key issues and local developments.
Sutton is continuously investing in the health, wellbeing, and education of its residents and future generations, as outlined in the “Ambitious for Sutton” corporate plan. Home to the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton is developing the London Cancer Hub, aiming to become the world’s leading life-science district specializing in cancer research and treatment. This vision is expected to create around 13,000 jobs and contribute £1.2bn annually to the UK economy, fostering a vibrant community of scientists, doctors, and innovative companies to benefit cancer patients and drive economic growth.
With ongoing regeneration including new homes and schools, Sutton is committed to working closely with residents and vulnerable groups to support independence and balance between support and independent living.
The Council is a key force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs, focusing on strategic growth, regeneration, and investment. Sutton aims to shape the borough’s future and adapt to residents’ needs to make it a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

About the Service and Team
Following a restructure of Children’s Services under the Families First Partnership Programme, the Children and Young People's Disability Service has expanded into a larger SEND Family Help Service.
This service includes a social work team of five social workers, which the successful candidate will manage, alongside two family help teams with practitioners supporting families. The social workers handle complex Children in Need (CIN), Child Protection (CP), Children Looked After (CLA), and court proceedings cases. There is extensive multi-agency partnership working to ensure children and families receive holistic, family-centred, and led plans.
Over the next 18 months, the service is developing a physically located multi-agency SEND Family Hub to provide robust support to all children with SEND from a welcoming, family-focused location. The SEND Family Help Service focuses on children with complex and specialist needs.

About the Role and Our Ideal Candidate
The Team Manager will lead a team of 5-6 social workers working with complex children in need, child protection, children looked after, and court proceedings cases. The role requires providing robust supervision, support, and oversight to ensure children are safeguarded, thrive, and achieve the best possible outcomes as they approach adulthood.
Key responsibilities include:
- Robust oversight of performance regarding assessments, plans, visits, and measurable outcomes for children
- Building strong multi-agency relationships and constructively challenging to ensure well-rounded family plans
- Supporting social workers by chairing complex meetings, undertaking challenging visits, and modelling good practice
- Collaborating with other team managers to ensure consistent service delivery
- Ensuring value-for-money support by identifying options within voluntary and partnership sectors
- Overseeing high-quality preparation for adulthood work by the team

We seek a passionate, motivated, and experienced social worker with management experience or ambition to move into management. You will have experience working with families to safeguard children with disabilities, excellent knowledge of relevant legislation and procedures, and the ability to support your team to become the best practitioners possible.
You will demonstrate genuine care and high expectations for children with SEND, fostering a team culture that strives for the best outcomes.
Excellent verbal and communication skills are essential, enabling you to support workers in creating SMART, restorative, clear, and measurable plans with families.

Our Offer to You
We are committed to nurturing talent and supporting your career growth in a friendly, collaborative environment. Your ideas will be encouraged and supported by a dynamic and experienced management team.
Benefits include:
- Generous annual leave entitlement of 26-32 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time)
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption, and dependents leave
- Two volunteering days per year
- Flexible working through the Smarter Working Scheme (role dependent)
- Adjustable and agile working arrangements with Google Chromebooks
- Access to a learning and development portal with a range of courses
- Discounts at local shops, restaurants, gyms, and leisure centres
- Interest-free season ticket loans
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
- Electric vehicle leasing scheme
- Confidential health, wellbeing, and counselling support

Application Process
Please apply online outlining your skills, abilities, and experience that make you an ideal candidate. Refer to the job profile requirements and ensure your CV details are correctly uploaded.
We embrace the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve productivity but expect authentic, personalised applications demonstrating your own skills, experience, and motivation. Applications relying solely on AI-generated content may be rejected.
Transparency is a core value and will be assessed throughout the application and interview process.
The closing date is indicative; early application is advised as the vacancy may close once sufficient applications are received.
We anonymise applications to reduce bias and encourage diverse interview panels. We are committed to removing barriers and enhancing workforce diversity.

Additional Information
We pride ourselves on being a diverse and welcoming borough, striving to create a workforce reflecting our community. We celebrate differences and welcome applications from underrepresented groups.
We offer family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks to support diversity.
We are a Disability Confident employer and guarantee interviews for disabled applicants meeting minimum criteria. As an accredited London Living Wage Employer, all employees receive the London Living Wage regardless of contract length or type.
The UK’s points-based immigration system affects sponsorship availability, which is subject to eligibility and budget. Sponsorship requests are evaluated case-by-case and cannot be guaranteed for all roles.

Experience
Proven experience as a social worker, ideally with experience managing or a strong ambition to move into management. Experience working with families to safeguard children with disabilities and managing complex cases including CIN, CP, CLA, and court proceedings.
Strong multi-agency partnership working and ability to constructively challenge to ensure effective family plans.
Experience chairing complex meetings and modelling good practice.

About you
Passionate and motivated with genuine care and high expectations for children with SEND.
Ability to create and maintain a positive team culture focused