Jobs Board

The service

The Early Help and Prevention Service in Portsmouth is a new way of doing things – providing extra practical help with families early on, to stop problems getting worse. We talk with families about the things that are most important to them, what might help and what we can do differently to help them. This is how we start working together with the whole family to help get things back on track. In Portsmouth we believe social work matters. We continue to invest in our front-line staff and services drawing on a wide range of skills, sharing expertise with our partner agencies and valuing development and improving practice.

The role

The role involves working within the 0-19 Early Help team to strengthen plans and support families to make change without statutory intervention. The role requires sensitive support and challenge to families and staff. The role includes line management responsibilities as part of a Locality based team. This will include data monitoring and other Quality Assurance activities.

We are committed to professional development and will provide training for the successful candidate. If successful you will be joining lively, challenging and supportive teams whose priority is in improving outcomes for Portsmouth’s children and young people.

The service

Portsmouth City Council's Children's Services team has been rated as 'good' overall, following an inspection from Ofsted in May 2023. The report published on 3 July 2023 finds that most children in Portsmouth receive a good service and for some it is outstanding. Tangier Road Children's Home was inspected by Ofsted in May 2023 and found to be rated overall 'good' including in how well children and young people are helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

The role

As the Registered Manager you will lead and manage Tangier Road Children's Home which is a five-bedroom detached property situated on Portsea Island in Portsmouth. In this challenging, yet extremely rewarding role, you will ensure compliance with statutory guidance and local policies and procedures so that the children receive safe, nurturing, and holistic care to meet their needs. You will oversee the home, identify and address any concerns or gaps for development, manage budgets, and oversee safeguarding, health and safety, professional boundaries, and staff development and training.

The service

The Family Intervention Service is a city-wide resource, responding to referrals from case holding family safeguarding Social Workers for intensive parenting and in providing family time with children who have been removed from the care of their parents.

The role

You will supervise 'family time' sessions between families and their children where the children are no longer living in their family home. Within these sessions you will work with families independently using a restorative approach and as part of a team with other professionals to contribute to the planning and intervention of a programme of work. You will also work independently within family's homes completing direct work with parents and children on a one-to-one basis. You will represent children and families and produce reports for child protection meetings, court hearings and other multi-agency meetings as required. This role is based in the Battenburg Family Centre.

The service

Children's social care provides social work interventions to children in need (including children with disabilities and those subject to protection plans) and children looked after and care experienced young people. As a service we take pride in our work by valuing others, focusing on what's important so that we make a real and positive difference.

The role

You will have responsibility for Children We Care For in Portsmouth, and deliver on our 'Going Home & Strengthening Families' approach. You will lead a service of team leaders, social workers, and other staff, and ensure the efficient running of the service. You will ensure all statutory requirements are met and delivered to a high standard, and lead quality assurance activity including service audits and regulatory inspections. You will ensure all team requirements are met regarding workforce development, performance management, supervision and appraisal, compliance with statutory guidance and local policies and procedures, quality improvements, and budget management. You will work creatively and autonomously, and promote a restorative, strengths-based approach to work.

The service

Children's Social Care provides social work interventions to children in need (including children with disabilities and those subject to protection plans) and children looked after and care experienced young people. As a service we take pride in our work by valuing others, focusing on what's important so that we make a real and positive difference.

The role

You will oversee, manage, and have responsibility for the Children's Adoption team, the Kinship team, the Fostering Recruitment team and the Fostering Panel, as well as Private Fostering and collaboration with Adopt South. You will lead a service of team leaders, social workers, and other staff, and ensure the efficient running of the service.

You will ensure all statutory requirements are met and delivered to a high standard, and lead quality assurance activity including service audits and regulatory inspections. You will ensure all team requirements are met regarding workforce development, performance management, supervision and appraisal, compliance with statutory guidance and local policies and procedures, quality improvements, and budget management. You will work creatively and autonomously, and promote a restorative, strengths-based approach to work. As service leader for Permanence and Fostering Recruitment you will work closely with the service leader for Fostering Support and Home Finding Team, providing support and cover for each other when necessary.

The service

Children's Social Care provides social work interventions to children in need (including children with disabilities and those subject to protection plans) and children looked after and care leavers. It is the responsibility of Children's Social Care to offer a range of options for children who need placements outside their families, including fostering and residential care alongside adoption, special guardianship, and kinship arrangements. The Home Finding Team is responsible for identifying suitable care for children we care for, including foster care, semi-independent provision, and children's homes.

The role

You will have responsibility for managing the work related to finding homes for children which provide warm, kind, and safe care, where they feel loved and can flourish. You will manage a team, offering scrutiny and challenge to promote a creative and dynamic team, committed to ever improving outcomes. You will lead by example having integrity, promoting equal access, and being aspirational in the work. You will create positive working relationships across the team, with other professionals, foster carers and provider agencies, to promote good outcomes for children and their families. You will play a significant role in the development, implementation, and monitoring of contracts for the placement of children in the local authority's care.

We have exciting opportunities for qualified social workers to join our Children and Families directorate, in one of our Family Support and Safeguarding teams based in Portsmouth City Council. We have been recognised by Ofsted as a "Good" local authority with "Outstanding" for our Family Safeguarding and Support teams.

The successful candidate will have an opportunity to be based within one of our Family Support and Safeguarding teams. Within this team you will be working to provide support under children in need or in need of protection where necessary, or when children have come into the care of Children's Social Care. You may be involved in working families under Public Law Outline (PLO) or within care proceedings. All of this will be undertaken with the support of your manager.

You will be supported in your practice by your service and team leaders, your peers and our Stronger Futures Academy. You will be offered restorative practice and motivational interviewing training in your first year of employment and we have a comprehensive continuing professional development pathway to meet the standards of Social Work England.