Social Care Team Leader Children's Service

Social Care Team Leader Children's Service

Harmony Care are recruiting for a Social Care Leader to join an existing team. This Centre is located in Co Laois.

Key Traits And Characteristics Of a Social Care Leader

• Child-Centered Approach:
  • Deep commitment to prioritising the safety, well-being, and development of young people.
  • Empathy and the ability to understand and advocate for the unique needs of every young person.
• Inspirational Leadership:
  • Motivational and empowering, capable of building strong, resilient teams.
  • Clear vision and ability to align teams with Organisational goals and values.
• Strong Communication Skills:
  • Ability to listen actively and engage effectively with young people, families, team members and professionals.
  • Skilled in conveying complex information in an accessible and empathetic manner.
• Collaboration and Teamwork:
  • Strong interpersonal skills to work across multidisciplinary teams and foster partnerships.
  • Enthusiastic about building positive relationships with families, educators, and external agencies.
• Resilience and Adaptability:
  • Calm under pressure with a problem-solving mindset.
  • Flexible in responding to the evolving needs of children and families.
• Strategic Thinking:
  • Ability to design and implement innovative approaches to improve care standards.
  • Analytical mindset to evaluate services and outcomes for continuous improvement.
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
  • Respectful of cultural, social, and individual differences.
  • Actively works to create an inclusive environment for young people and their families.
• Professional Expertise:
  • Solid understanding of safeguarding, child development, and relevant legislation.
  • Demonstrates high ethical standards and a commitment to professional growth.

About Harmony Care

At Harmony we focus on the care, safety and protection of our children. Our incredible team ensure that each individual child's goals and potential are fully supported, nurtured and given every opportunity to grow, make mistakes, have positive experiences, learn new skills and most importantly, develop a sense of safety and security. We strongly believe that a child-centered approach, focused on relationships and empathy, positively promotes the wellbeing of our children. Harmony maintains stability, ensures reliability and inspires hope by consistently upholding the highest standards in children's residential services. Harmony is a regulated and approved provider of children's residential services, operating under contract with Tusla.

Apply now

Important Information

Location: Headquarters, Harmony Residential Care, Portlaoise, Ireland, Co. Laois, R32
Date Posted: 28th February 2025
Closing Date: 20th March 2025
Industry: Social Care
Job Type: Full time
Salary: Based on Experience

About The Role

Role Specific/ Benefits

• Salary: €47,424.00 per annum based on two sleepovers per week
• Rosters: Can include sleepovers, day shifts, waking nights. There are no on-call responsibilities with this role.
• Comprehensive Induction: Two and a half day induction supported by a 6-month employee development programme.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): 24/7 support available to team members and their families/partners (16+).
• Generous Leave: 192 hours of annual leave per year, plus bank holidays.
• Structured Supervision: Regular and supportive supervision sessions.
• Professional Development: Career progression opportunities and paid core professional training.
• Inclusive Working Hours: Full rate of pay for sleeping hours, which may be included in the working week.
• Wellbeing Focus: Dedicated Mental Health Officers in each Centre and employee wellbeing initiatives.
• Team-Building Events: Social days organised twice annually by Centre teams.

Principal Roles And Responsibilities

Policy and Procedures

• Adhere to all organisational policies and procedures.
• Actively participate in policy and procedure reviews
• Support the Centre Manager in implementing policies and procedures across areas such as budgeting, health and safety, supervision, training, appraisals, and recruitment.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the Safety Statement and associated Health and Safety Risk Assessments.
• Ensure the safety of young people, team members, and visitors through diligent oversight and risk management.
• Report concerns promptly to the Centre Manager and assist in addressing health and safety risks.
• Uphold confidentiality regarding young people, employees, and organisational matters.
• Report any shortfalls to the Health and Safety Representative, Deputy Manager, or Centre Manager.

Leadership

• Supervise social care team members, residential care team members and relief staff as allocated.
• Collaborate with the management team to ensure services of the highest possible quality within available resources.
• Maintain a welcoming and supportive environment for young people and team members.
• Promote professional development and provide support for team members
• Facilitate effective communication within the team and ensure seamless handover procedures.
• Act as a liaison with external agencies in a professional and positive manner.
• Participate in inspections and contribute to continuous improvement efforts.
• Review and agree to updates in the job description as needed.
• Be accountable to the Deputy Manager or Centre Manager for all duties.

Oversight and Governance

• Evaluate team performance and provide constructive feedback.
• Engage in Significant Event Reviews to promote learning and best practices.
• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and auditing of the Centre.
• Oversee preparation and presentation of reports and assessments.

Care of the Young People

• Encourage young people's active participation in decisions affecting their lives.
• Assess and oversee the assessment of young people's needs to ensure high-quality care.
• Collaborate on care plans, aftercare plans, and placement planning, ensuring young people's voices are central.
• Perform key working duties when necessary.
• Address the social, educational, recreational, medical, dietary, and cultural needs of young people.
• Attend Child in Care Reviews/ Placement Reviews and related meetings as required.
• Respond effectively to identified risks, utilising the organisation's risk management framework.
• Work within the identified Model of Care at Harmony Care, the Welltree Model of Care.

Professional Development

• Maintain effective self-care practices.
• Engage in training programmes provided by the organisation to enhance professional skills.
• Take responsibility for personal training and development while fostering growth in team members.
• Provide and participate in structured supervision sessions.

Safeguarding

• Fulfil all responsibilities as a mandated person, including reporting child protection and welfare concerns to Tusla and the Designated Liaison Person (DLP).
• Ensure familiarity with the organisation's Child Safeguarding Statement and associated risk management plans.
• Address safeguarding risks promptly and in line with organisational policies.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform general housekeeping duties and meal preparation, involving young people as appropriate.
• Reconcile petty cash at the start and end of each shift.
• Maintain accurate records and reports on young people and daily Centre activities.
• Complete recording systems daily and ensure proper handover protocols.
• Stay informed about current research and theory in social care to support evidence-based practices.
• Represent Harmony Care professionally at all times.

What you will need

Required criteria

• BA in Applied Social Care Work or equivalent
• A minimum of two years experience in social care with children / young people.
• The right to work in Ireland.

Desired criteria

• Have a full clean driving license.

Apply now
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