Job Introduction
Bradford Children and Families Trust was established in April 2023 to enhance the quality and delivery of Children’s Services across our district. Our purpose is clear, to ensure that our promise to improve the lives of children and young people in Bradford becomes a reality. The Trust is accountable for determining how outcomes of these services are achieved and for the day-to-day running of commissioned children’s services. It requires dedication, determination, and resilience – but under a new Chief Executive, Senior Leadership team and an unswerving drive to deliver the best outcomes, we are confident that we’ll achieve our ambition.
This is an important opportunity to refocus our approach to delivering the support that Bradford’s children, young people and families need, by renewing services and creating sustainable progress. As a new organisation, Bradford Children and Families Trust has established our own purpose, vision, and outcomes for what we aim to achieve.
Our vision: For all children and young people in Bradford to be safe and able to realise their full potential.
Our purpose: To provide high-quality services with partners that help safeguard, support and promote the welfare of children, young people and families across the Bradford District.
We will achieve this through continuous improvements in our services and positive collaboration with our staff, our partner organisations.
So, if you’re up for the Challenge we’d love to hear from you!
About The Role
You will be responsible for the effective management of social work teams in the Keighley & Shipley locality and of statutory social work provision within Bradford Children & Families Trust, ensuring that service provision achieves good outcomes for vulnerable children, children in need of protection and looked after young people.
You will be responsible for ensuring that high quality safeguarding practices and policies are fully implemented and embedded within your locality, as well as across the district as a whole. You will look to build positive relationships with partners from both statutory and third sector organisations, in order to work together to achieve better outcomes for children and families across Bradford.
You will be responsible for ensuring that statutory requirements, and that national and local policies and procedures in relation to the provision of children’s social work are adhered to, as well as managing social work resources efficiently and effectively, prioritising need and working cooperatively within the Service Management Team.
You will provide visible, restorative and dynamic leadership within the service, in order to support the continued improvement of social work practice, and live the Trust’s values to INSPIRE, (Integrity, Nurture, Safety, Pride, Inclusive, Respectful, Excellence).
Key Responsibilities
- To have overall responsibility for the Children and Families teams within a locality area and to provide direct line management and have supervisory responsibility of the front-line managers and oversight of the teams.
- Promote participation and the child’s voice as part of your leadership, putting child focussed decision making at the centre of your practice.
- Provide strong leadership to the service area, working alongside your colleagues to develop effective communication and to ensure continued service development.
- Build and sustain effective working partnerships across statutory services and the voluntary sector to promote joined up and effective responses to children and families.
- Operate to meet local and national targets by managing performance and ensuring continual progress and improvement.
About You
You will need to demonstrate that you have the following skills, experience and knowledge:
- Professional qualification in social work such as DIPSW, CQSW and experience of managing social work teams.
- Be able to demonstrate interpersonal skills combined with excellent leadership and management experience, with a passion to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children and young people.
- Ability to apply safeguarding practices and promote the welfare of the child and young person, recognising and responding to harm or abuse proportionately, assessing risks and making informed judgements, acting within local procedures, arrangements and resources.
- Carry out analysis of and report information and data from a range of sources, to identify financial and other issues, resolve problems and ensure compliance with financial procedures and requirements.
- Ability to manage successful service delivery and an ability to build and manage relationships effectively and to bring people together to utilise partnership working.
List of Benefits:
- Generous Employer Contributions in a Local Government Pension Scheme
- Competitive salary and pay progression structure.
- Real living wage as the minimum rate of pay
- Supportive carer and parental policies
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Access to Occupational Health and confidential counselling services
- Supportive staff networks
- Access to Blue Light Card Discounts
- Professional development/support
- Career Progression
- Enhanced annual leave entitlement
- Social Worker Registration Fees paid
- Flexible Working/Hybrid options subject to service need
- Retention Payment Applicable – as part of this role you will be eligible for our annual retention payment, paid in 12 monthly instalments. This is non contractual (reviewed annually).
Next Steps
- If you would like to discuss the role further, then please contact Andrea Walters (Assistant Director) on 07870543097 or send an email to andrea.walters@bradfrodcft.org.uk
Closing date: Thursday 1 May 2025
Interview date: W/C 5 May 2025
Interview Location: Sir Henry Mitchell House, 4 Manchester Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 0QL
- Recruiter Contact Details: Andrea Walters (Assistant Director) on 07870 543097 or andrea.walters@bradfrodcft.org.uk
Bradford Children and Families Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.
If shortlisted, you will be required to disclose relevant information regarding criminal history prior to interview.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including a check against the Children’s barred list, will be carried out on preferred candidates.
