Our benefits
You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council
About the role
Our vision is that all adults in West Northamptonshire are supported to live healthy, independent lives, with seamless access to high-quality, joined-up advice and services that empower them to help themselves.
As an Assistant Team Manager / Principal Social Worker, you will play a key role in leading and embedding strengths-based practice across the team. Working closely with the Team Manager, you will support the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred services, ensuring the best possible outcomes for residents.
You will help shape a confident, skilled workforce, promoting a culture of learning, reflective practice, and continuous improvement in line with Care Act principles.
Learn more about our Social Work teams here: Our Adult Social Work teams | West Northamptonshire Council
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
What will you be doing?
In this role, you will support the day-to-day leadership of the team, ensuring high-quality practice is consistently delivered while creating an environment where staff feel supported, developed, and empowered to succeed.
You will play a key role in embedding strengths-based, outcome-focused practice and will lead by example, championing high professional standards and continuous improvement.
You will:
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Support the operational management of the team to ensure strong performance and effective service delivery
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Provide supervision, coaching, and professional guidance to social workers and colleagues
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Promote safe decision-making, including safeguarding practice and effective risk management
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Contribute to quality assurance activity, audits, and service improvements
Alongside this, you will help to shape the culture and development of the service by:
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Championing innovation, reflection, and learning, using audits, practice evaluations, and learning reviews to drive improvement
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Supporting the development of staff at all stages of their careers, from students and ASYEs to experienced Social Workers
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Building strong, positive relationships across the team, taking time to understand and support our valued staff group
You will work collaboratively with partners to ensure a joined-up approach that delivers the best possible outcomes for residents.
About you
You are an experienced and motivated social care professional with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, strengths-based practice.
Perhaps you are currently working in an adult safeguarding role, supporting a Team Manager and looking for your next step. Or you may already be an experienced manager seeking a new challenge—one that not only supports your professional growth but also prioritises your wellbeing.
While Social Work England registration is not essential, you will bring extensive experience within Adult Social Care and a proven ability to support complex legal work, including preparing documentation for court proceedings. You will be well-versed in relevant legislation and confident navigating funding streams to achieve positive outcomes.
You will be an approachable, proactive, and solution-focused individual who understands what good looks like and has high aspirations for both the workforce and the organisation. You will be confident managing competing demands and committed to supporting a culture where staff feel empowered, capable, and supported.
You will bring:
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Proven experience of leadership, practice development, and service delivery within a safeguarding or social work environment
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A strong understanding of partnership working across health and social care
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Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build, manage, and develop effective working relationships
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A passion for quality, inclusion, and continuous improvement
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Higher post-qualifying training in a relevant discipline or a management qualification
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Experience managing across a range of service areas such as Older People, Mental Health, Learning Disability, or Adult Safeguarding
Our standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. You will also need to be able to travel and have access to transport.
About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.
We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner
The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [email protected] for support.
Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.
