Job Description
Job Title:
Family Support Service Manager
Team/Service:
Paignton and Brixham Children’s Centres/ Torbay
Cluster Team
Business Unit:
Early Intervention
Commissioning Area
People
Responsible To: (day to day issues)
Children Centre Manager/ Cluster Manager
Accountable To: (line manager)
Children Centre Manager/ Cluster Manager
Salary Grade: (Spinal column points only)
Spinal Column point : 37– 41
1. Key Purpose of Job
1.
To lead, manage and develop Early Intervention Family Support Services in line with budget
allocation and the priorities of Torbay Children’s Services
2.
To be accountable for frontline practice, service interventions and evaluation so that
services are outcome focussed and provide the highest quality for service users at all times
2.
To directly support, supervise, manage and performance appraise a team of Family Support
Workers to ensure evidenced based, accountable practices that achieve the very best
outcomes for children, young people and their families.
2. Anticipated Outcomes of Post
2.1
Children and young people’s outcomes are improved by early identification of need and
families are supported and empowered as soon as difficulties and concerns arise.
2.2
Children and families will be supported so that the need for further engagement of specialist
Children Services will be prevented.
2.3
Children and families engaged with specialist services will be able to access family support
from Clusters or Children’s Centres to improve outcomes and reduce risk.
2.4
Assessments and interventions of Family Support Workers are of the highest quality; based
on evidence based practice and demonstrate improved measurable outcomes for children,
young people and their families.
2.5
Family Support Workers will be directly supported, challenged and managed to deliver the
highest quality, effective and anti-discriminatory interventions and practices for service users
at all times
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
3. List Key Duties and accountabilities of the post
3.1.
Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
3.2.
To ensure that Service Users are placed at the heart of the Service, are treated
courteously and fairly and consulted on all aspects of their service provision.
3.3.
To supervise and manage a Team of Family Support Workers ensuring that they receive
full supervision and performance management in line with best practice.
3.4.
To assess and allocate referrals as and when received to the most appropriate worker or
service.
3.5.
To use the existing CAF process and others to support a multi agency, Team Around the
Family intervention as needs demand.
3.6.
To ensure evidenced based practice informs and drives service planning and delivery
and that recording systems focus are outcome and impact focussed.
3.7.
To devise and implement a system of assessment of need, regular review and case
closure that is a model of good practice.
3.8.
To ensure that individual case records are up to date and of the highest quality using the
systems provided.
3.9.
To be aware of the menu of Universal Services offered in Children’s Centres and
Clusters and to support Family Support Workers to move their families towards these
forms of support as and when appropriate.
3.10. To attend, chair or direct meetings that involve service users, partner agencies and our
staff ensuring appropriate presentation of quality information to inform assessment and
progress and action planning
3.11. To ensure a working knowledge of external and internal agencies/services available to
meet service user need
3.12. To evidence effective multi-agency partnership work and practices to improve outcomes
for children, young people and their families
3.13. To ensure the collation of management and performance information in line with agreed
systems and processes
3.14. To lead on Family Support Service Business Planning ensuring effective service user
and other stakeholder consultation takes place.
3.15. To be aware of current schemes e.g. Home Safety Scheme, Two Year Old Funding etc
and to ensure that Family Support Workers are able to promote these schemes to
parents where appropriate.
3.16. To ensure awareness of the diverse needs of service users and that anti-discriminatory
practice informs service planning, delivery and evaluation at all times
3.17. To hold regular Team Meetings to discuss organisational matters etc.
3.18. To attend meetings where appropriate.
3.19. To deputise for Children Centre Manager /Cluster Manager as and when necessary and
appropriate.
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
4. Give examples of the typical types of problems and decisions the post will be required to
make
4.1
The Manager of this Team will supervise staff who work with complex families whose needs can and
will change. Ensuring the right intervention and the right time will be critical /key to effective service
delivery from front-line staff. The Manager must be aware of the case loads and holding potential of
each Team Member ensuring that each family has the support /intervention they require. Although
the emphasis of this post is to prevent families from needing Specialist Children’s Services, the
Manager will take responsibility for the decision to refer into Specialist Services.
4.2
The Team themselves work with children, young people and their parents/carers who have a range
and differing complexity of need. The Manager needs to be highly skilled to assess the level and
type of intervention that is required and to direct appropriate resources so that the family is assured
of clear and improved outcomes.
4.3
The families themselves can have chaotic lives that develop new situations requiring interventions
that are timely. The Manager must be able to respond quickly to the changing needs and to ensure
that these needs are met.
5. Budgetary / Financial Responsibilities of the post
5.1.
Delegated Budget as appropriate.
6. Supervision / Line Management Responsibilities of the post ( Please show / provide
organisation structure as an appendices, showing official reporting lines)
Children’s Centre/Cluster
Manager
Family Support Manager
Team of 10 Family Support
Workers
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
7. Working Environment & Conditions of the post
7.1.
Office Environment but some home visiting and lone working may be required.
8. Physical Demands of the post
8.1.
Normal physical effort but occasional lifting of children or equipment may be necessary.
9. Specific Resources used by the post
9.1.
Driving of Children’s Centre Van may be required.
9.2.
Mobile phones and computers required for flexible working.
10. Key Contacts and Relationships
10.1. External – eg:
Health Professionals (Midwives, Health Visitors, Speech Therapists etc)
Solicitors
Voluntary Organisations (CAB, TAN etc)
Specalist Services – Domestic Violence Services, Drug and Alcohol Service
Probation Service
Schools
Internal – eg:
Children’s Services
Disability Team
Adult Services (Disability Team)
Benefits
School Learning and Standards
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
11. Other Duties
To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.
Other Information
a) All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
b) The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking
in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings,
but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the
curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. Staff will not be released for a break that is
specifically for smoking.
c) The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant
Council Policies and Procedures.
d) The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as
outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
e) This post is based at the Studio but the postholder may be required to move their base to
any other location within the Council at a future date.
f)
As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be
subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Criminal Records Bureau before
the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final
warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will
only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you
should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of
the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to
take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection
process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in
your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
Person Specification
Job
Title:
Family Support Team
Manager
Business
Unit:
Early Intervention
Team/
Service:
Paignton & Brixham Children’s
Centre/Cluster Teams
Essential Skills and Effectiveness:
Desirable Skills and Effectiveness:
1.
1.
Ability to produce an effective business planning.
2.
Ability to deliver Staff Training and Team Building Exercises that
relate to different ways of learning and clearly show outcomes.
Ability to take a lead role in the management of complex
cases.
2.
Ability to think creatively around the needs of families and
to communicate these in supervision.
3.
Ability to manage time effectively in assessing, planning,
managing and supervising.
4.
Ability to communicate effectively to a range of different
audiences.
5.
Commitment to Equal Opportunities and to antidiscriminatory practice.
6.
Effective reporting and recording skills.
7.
Ability to make decisions in accordance with the
Management Level of the post.
8.
Ability to use IT based recording.
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
9.
Ability to support and challenge team members to ensure
that a family focussed approach to case working is
adopted.
Essential Knowledge:
Desirable Knowledge:
10.
Knowledge of relevant documentation and best practices
e.g. Children’s Centre Core Offer, Extended Services,
Children Act 1989, Every Child Matters, Think Family etc.
3.
Specific knowledge of PARIS and E-Start case recording
systems.
4.
11.
Knowledge of CAF system of referral and assessment and
of multi-agency working practice.
Knowledge of evidence based parenting programmes such as
Triple P, Webster-Stratton.
12.
Knowledge of IT Systems
Essential Experience/Achievements:
Desirable Experience/Achievements:
13.
Proven post-qualification experience working with children
and families in the context of current legislation and
Government initiatives.
5.
14.
Experience of the Safeguarding and Child in Need
Systems.
15.
Experience of multi agency working
16.
Experience of assessing need, formulating a plan and
monitoring the effectiveness of that plan.
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009
Staff supervision and line management
Essential Qualifications/Professional Memberships:
Desirable Qualifications/Professional Memberships:
17.
6.
Management Qualification
7.
Post-graduate training in relevant discipline
Degree level qualification in relevant discipline e.g. Social
Work
Essential – Other requirements of the job role

Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people

Ability to carry out the physical requirements of the role (i.e. manual handling)

Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay in order to carry out duties

Ability to accommodate unsociable hours

Ability to accommodate on-call working

Ability to accommodate occasional home-working
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Job Description and Person Specification template – Nov 2009