The starting salary for this position is £46,634 per annum based on a 36 hour working week. This opportunity is offered as a fixed-term contract or secondment ending on 31st March 2024.

We are passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children. If you share our passion and have the motivation and drive to make a difference - we have a brilliant opportunity for you!

We are committed to ensuring that, where appropriate and possible, children are living and educated in Surrey. In order to realise this commitment, the 'Coming Home' project has been established to focus on Children Looked After with an Education, Health and Care Plan placed in out of county placements with a view to bringing them back into the county, where it is deemed to be in the child or young person's best interest.

The aim of the 'Coming Home' project is to increase the sufficiency of provision in Surrey for children and young people who are looked after and/or have SEND. It enables better long-term outcomes, with children closer to home and more connected to local communities and support services. It also improves value for money as we strengthen our collaboration with local providers and other local authorities to manage the market of provision more effectively.

We are now looking to recruit a Step-Down Project Manager for the Coming Home project who will focus on the social care element of the children identified within the project. In this role, you will work in close collaboration with the Coming Home Project Manager who will be focusing on the SEND element. Joint working will ensure that the focus is on the right children and young people and that any potential moves take place with careful consideration, robust planning and are driven with a clear set of principles that can evidence this is the right decision for the child. Children have moved back to Surrey homes and schools due to the intervention of this project.

In addition, you will also lead on identifying children in children's homes who are ready to move to a family-based arrangement. This aspect of the role involves working with internal and external partners to assess which children are ready for a move to a family and to identify families for these children.

This is a highly collaborative role where you'll need to develop and maintain robust and respectful relationships with partners to ensure high quality, stable placements for our children. By taking a service-wide, multi-agency approach you will provide high support and high challenge to colleagues; making sure that care planning practice informs the identification of placements and that children are placed in a timely way.

Here are the qualities, skills & experiences we are looking for in our Step Down Project Manager:

• Qualified Social Worker (registered with SWE) and an experienced social work manager with a background and track record in children's services
• A good knowledge and sound understanding of children's social work legislation and care planning
• An understanding of using data to inform project development

If you are ready for a challenge and looking for stimulating role that is both ambitious and determined to make a real difference, then we would love to hear from you.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 26th March 2023.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Benefits

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit the advert on the employer site.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.