Learning Academy Manager

Are you someone with extensive knowledge of and experience in children's social work practice who is passionate about developing others, improving practice and making a difference for children and families?

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Learning Academy Manager to join our Learning Academy and play a key role in shaping workforce development across the Trust. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who combines strong frontline social work experience with a passion for learning, leadership and continuous improvement.

About the role:

As Learning Academy manager, you will lead the development of learning that is driven by quality assurance practice insight and organisational priorities. Working closely with quality assurance colleagues, operational leaders and practitioners, you will help close the loop between what we learn through audit and review activity, the development we provide to our workforce, improvements in practice and ultimately, better outcomes for children and families. You will support and oversee learning across the social work development pathway as well as learning and development of the wider learning across the Trusts workforce. You will contribute to the design and delivery of our leadership development programmes, facilitate learning events, coach and support others, and ensure that our learning offer remains innovative, evidence informed and impactful. This is both a strategic and operational role. Alongside managing and developing members of the Learning Academy team, you will work across the organisation to identify emerging themes, translate these into meaningful learning opportunities and evaluate the impact of learning on practice. We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

About you:

• You have significant experience of children's social work practice.
• Has a strong understanding of excellent social work practice, safeguarding and the challenges facing children and families.
• You are passionate about developing people and creating a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
• Has experience of designing, delivering and evaluating learning and development programmes
• Can confidently facilitate learning with practitioners, managers and senior leaders.
• Has experience of supervision, coaching or managing others.
• Is skilled at building relationships, influencing practice and working collaboratively across services.
• Can analyse information, identify themes and translate into meaningful practice improvement.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a forward thinking, well established Learning Academy that is committed to supporting professional development, strengthening practice and ensuring that learning makes a tangible difference to the lives of children and families. If you are looking for a role where you can combine social work expertise with your passion for learning, leadership and practice improvement, we would love to hear from you. Additional Information: Interview date: TBC Onboarding Process: Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian including Experian DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements. Our Benefits:

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.