Job Title: Team Manager – Cared For Children’s Team (Social Work)
Location: Torbay
Pay Rate: £45 per hour (Umbrella)
Contract Type: Locum / Full-Time (Long-Term Assignment)
Hours: Full Time
Sanctuary Personnel is recruiting for an experienced Team Manager to join a Cared For Children’s Team within Children’s Services in Torbay.
This is a key leadership role within a well-structured service supporting children in care and care-experienced young people. You will be responsible for overseeing social work practice, driving performance standards, and ensuring high-quality outcomes for children and families.
The service operates within a stable and supportive framework and has recently achieved a GOOD Ofsted rating, reflecting strong leadership and continued service development.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage a team of Social Workers delivering services to children in care
- Oversee a mixed caseload including complex Child in Need (CIN), Child Protection (CP), and care planning cases
- Ensure high standards of practice in assessments, care planning, and statutory interventions
- Provide regular supervision and performance management support to staff
- Chair and contribute to key multi-agency meetings and planning forums
- Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, safeguarding procedures, and best practice guidance
- Manage risk effectively and escalate safeguarding concerns appropriately
- Support service improvement and contribute to quality assurance processes
- Participate in duty rota cover (one week in every three), ensuring effective crisis response
- Work collaboratively across multi-agency partnerships and internal teams
- Maintain accurate oversight of workload management and service delivery performance
Team Structure & Working Arrangements
- Part of a wider service made up of six teams across Torbay (Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham)
- Each team includes a Team Manager, Advanced Social Worker, and 4–5 Social Workers
- Office attendance required up to three times per week
- Full-time office presence required during duty weeks
- Remote working available outside duty periods, with expectation of responsiveness during safeguarding activity
- Supervision arrangements typically held fortnightly depending on team structure
Requirements
- Qualified Social Worker with Social Work England registration
- Substantial experience in children’s social care, ideally in safeguarding or children in care services
- Proven experience in a leadership or senior practitioner role
- Strong knowledge of statutory frameworks including CIN, CP, and care planning
- Experience managing performance, supervision, and complex casework
- Ability to lead teams effectively under pressure in a safeguarding environment
- Strong communication, decision-making, and multi-agency collaboration skills
- Ability to travel across Torbay and occasionally outside the area
Additional Benefits
- Competitive £45 per hour locum rate
- £150 weekly accommodation allowance (where applicable)
- Long-term assignment with progression opportunities
- Access to structured supervision and supportive leadership environment
- Opportunity to work within a GOOD-rated Ofsted service
- Potential pathway into permanent leadership roles
About Sanctuary Personnel
Sanctuary Personnel is a specialist recruitment agency supporting social work, healthcare, and public sector professionals across the UK. We focus on connecting experienced practitioners with high-quality roles that make a meaningful impact in local communities.
SOCIALWORKLOCUM
Pay: £45.00 per hour
Experience:
- leadership or senior practitioner: 3 years (required)
- safeguarding or children in care services: 1 year (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Social Work England registration (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
