Team Manager - Family Help

We're looking for an experienced and inspiring Team Manager to lead and develop a social work team, ensuring children and families receive the highest possible standard of support and intervention. This is an excellent opportunity for a confident leader who is passionate about practice excellence, staff development and achieving positive outcomes.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

As Team Manager, you'll provide operational leadership and management for a busy children's social care team, ensuring services are delivered effectively, safely and in line with statutory requirements.

You will:

• Manage children subject to children in need, child protection and children Looked After

• Lead, motivate and develop a team of social workers and support staff

• Provide professional supervision, coaching and performance management

• Oversee complex casework and offer guidance on risk assessment and decision-making

• Manage team performance, quality assurance activities and service improvement initiatives

• Ensure effective workload allocation and resource management

• Chair reviews, planning meetings, case conferences and strategy discussions where required

• Build strong partnerships with internal colleagues and external agencies

• Manage delegated budgets and contribute to service planning and development

• Promote a culture of continuous learning, high professional standards and positive outcomes for children and families

About you

We're looking for a qualified social work leader who combines strong management skills with a child-centred approach.

You'll have:

• A recognised Social Work qualification

• Current Social Work England registration

• Significant post-qualification experience within statutory children's social care

• Previous management experience leading social work teams

• Strong knowledge of child in need, child protection and looked after children services

• Experience of quality assurance, performance management and service improvement

• Excellent risk management and decision-making skills

• The ability to chair complex meetings and work effectively with partner agencies

• A strong understanding of corporate parenting responsibilities

• The confidence to lead through challenge, change and crisis situations

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading

Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively

Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential

Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave

• A wide range of flexible working opportunities

• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)

• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted

• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work

• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact nick.crick@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 16th October 2026
Interview Date: 28th & 29th October 2026
Interview Process: To be confirmed