About Us
West Sussex County Council is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents. Employees are genuinely valued, respected and there is an emphasis on work life balance. We are committed to fostering personal growth, with ongoing professional development and continuous learning at the heart of our culture.
Working in the Transition Teams is all about making a positive difference for young people on their journey to adulthood. We recruit colleagues who share our passion for supporting young people to be ambitious and develop lives of their own. If you join us, you will be welcomed into supportive teams who will encourage you to be the best colleague that you can be.
We aim to:
- Build on an individual’s strengths to develop skills and independence
- Build and promote links with the individual’s community
- Promote and maintain safety and good health, and
- Promote employment and meaningful daily occupation.
Our Lifelong Services Teams have a unique focus, and our Social Workers and Assistant Care Managers are exceptional at supporting the teams to deliver legislatively compliant services. We offer a dedicated, strengths-based approach to disability that we know makes a positive difference. Whether we are engaging with people seeking advice, providing equipment or skills training, or starting a journey with people that may lead to a personal budget to meet complex needs, we are always looking to deliver the best outcomes.
The Transition Teams support customers county-wide and currently offer a service to young people from the age of 16 who have lifelong disabilities, autism and mental health issues. The focus of the team is to work closely with partner agencies to support young people and their families and carers when moving from childhood to adulthood. The structure of Transitions services is under review and may be subject to change and so we would welcome applications from candidates that have Learning Disability and/or Mental Health experience.
Transition is a busy and exciting time for workers and young people. You will be expected to work within organisational, policy and legislative frameworks as you support young people to increase their independence and plan for the future.
About The Job
Salary: £55,057 to £58,829 per annum
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Horsham office base, countywide travel required
West Sussex County Council is seeking a dedicated Team Manager to lead our Transitions Team, supporting young people with lifelong disabilities as they move into adulthood. This is a rewarding opportunity to shape services, develop staff, and improve outcomes.
As Team Manager, you will lead and manage a team of Social Workers and Assistant Care Managers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, person-centred services.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing strong leadership, supervision, and performance management
- Driving a strengths-based, community-led approach (Supporting Lives, Connecting People)
- Managing team resources and budgets effectively
- Developing and maintaining strong multi-agency partnerships
- Supporting complex decision-making within statutory frameworks
- Contributing to service development and county-wide initiatives
- Deputising for the Service/Operations Manager when required
You will work closely with health and partner organisations, including Sussex Community Foundation Trust and Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, and contribute to multi-disciplinary forums such as Continuing Healthcare Panels.
About You
We are looking for a confident and experienced professional who:
- Is a qualified Social Worker with substantial post-qualification experience
- Has strong leadership and management skills
- Demonstrates excellent knowledge of relevant legislation, including:
- Care Act 2014
- Mental Capacity Act
- Mental Health Act
- Is confident working within complex statutory frameworks
- Can inspire teams and drive high-quality practice
We would welcome applications from people with a strong experience in Learning Disability or Mental Health Services even if you don’t have experience in Lifelong Services. If you are unsure whether to apply for this role we would encourage you to contact Adrian Caines, Service Manager, to find out more about the role: [email protected].
Experience and Skills
Please see job description for full list of key skills, additional qualifications and/or experience for this role and cover how you meet them in your application.
Qualifications and/or experience:
- Post graduate professional qualification relevant to the professional service specialism (such as CQSW/CSS/DipSW or BA/MA in Social Work or equivalent and PQSW).
- Significant and broad experience demonstrating applied application of the above levels of knowledge in a relevant setting.
- Relevant chartered status of a professional body or equivalent high-level experience of involved practices.
- Registration with Social Work England and responsibility for maintaining registration.
- Significant post-qualification experience in dealing with diverse issues.
- Demonstrable experience of delivering or co-ordinating a quality customer-focussed service to others.
- Experience of managing and leading staff.
- Experience of managing a small budget and/or contributing to financially related decisions on larger spends.
- Experience of supporting initiatives in a political environment. Desirable.
Key Skills:
- Ability to make sound, pragmatic, problem-solving decisions including tackling difficult problems of a technical, professional, resource or people-related nature.
- Excellent communication skills with ability to influence actions by others and negotiate effective business solutions.
- Research and knowledge management skills; able to apply project management principles and practices.
- Leadership, effective people management and performance management skills and the ability to provide direction and support to individuals and teams during complex situations.
- Ability to challenge existing practices and identify innovative strength-based solutions within the required frameworks.
- Sound and accurate IT skills for general office duties, producing reports and undertaking research.
For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE06380.
For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Adrian Caines (Service Manager - Lifelong Services (Adults) at [email protected]. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact [email protected].
To apply, upload your CV and complete the application explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to Social Work England registration, an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.
West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.
For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme (if you meet the essential criteria), this can be found on our application help page.
Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We'll be in touch directly if we need you!
Job Reference: CAFHE06380
