Next Steps Development Manager 

Job Description

Family Routes, Ground Floor, Unit 2, 18 Heron Road, Belfast, BT3 9L3

This is an interim, self-employed role, eight hours per week. Hours may be extended to sixteen hours per week by arrangement with the ICEO.

Next Step is a Regional support and information service to both parents and birth relatives where the Best Interests decision for a child is permanent placement through adoption.

The role’s purpose is to bring about the necessary organizational, structure and practice change and development to promote longer-term sustainability.

While managing the longer-term development of the service the role will supervise current operational activity.

The role has responsibility for Developing and maintaining:

– The necessary staff structure

– A robust administrative and accountability structure

– A positive external profile for beneficiaries

– A positive profile as a trusted provider for statutory commissioners

– Effective and accessible information and guidance for beneficiaries

Specific Responsibilities:

Structural

The role will:

– Engage a minimum of six Next Step Social Workers

– Provide regular supervision/consultancy and development for sessional Social Workers

– Exercise quality assurance to ensure effectiveness and contract compliance

Governance

The role will:

– Maintain an effective operational relationship with the two sub-contracted parties – ie Adopt NI and Family Care Adoption Service

– Provide quarterly reports to the Commissioner, SPPG, on behalf of all commissioned agencies

Effectiveness

The role will:

– Review service model to inform future service procurement

– Engage stakeholders in future service design

– Research current practice development

Administration

The role will:

– Maintain a robust administrative system to achieve regulatory compliance and recording standards.

– Maintain a positive and effective working relationship with the Service Administrator.

Person Specification

Essential:

– Social Work Qualification

– Professional experience in Adoption, Social Work and Children’s Services – minimum 4yrs

– Knowledge of contemporary adoption and children’s legislation and adoption practice in Northern Ireland

– Experience of supervision of social work practice

– Demonstrated ability of working on own initiative

– Demonstrated empathic understanding of the needs and issues for birth families

Desirable:

– Previous engagement in service development implementation