Team manager

Summary: Lead, develop and support a team of social workers to ensure positive outcomes for children and families
Other names: Middle manager, practice manager, team leader

What you'll do

As a team manager you’ll:

manage a team of social workers and practitioners and support their professional and personal development
assign cases and provide oversight and quality assurance by leading supervision sessions
carry out performance reviews and give feedback to team members
chair and attend statutory meetings
represent your team at meetings with senior managers and external partners
manage your team’s budgets and resources
identify training needs and provide learning opportunities to support team members’ professional development
handle complaints and concerns from children and families
uphold and strengthen professional standards in your team

You'll need:

leadership and management skills to lead and motivate a team of social workers
decision-making and problem-solving skills to handle complex and sensitive cases
excellent communication and interpersonal skills
a strong understanding of child development and safeguarding issues
knowledge of different intervention strategies and evidence-based practices
the ability to support a team to provide high quality social work for children and families
knowledge of self-care practices and managing personal and team stress

To become a team manager you must:

have completed a degree, apprenticeship or graduate training scheme in social work
be registered with Social Work England
ideally have at least 5 years' experience as a qualified child and family social worker
have experience supervising social workers and advising on their practice

Some employers may prefer candidates who have a post-graduate qualification in practice education.

If you’re an experienced practitioner, the Pathway 2: middle managers programme can help prepare you to progress to a team manager role.

With experience you could:

progress into an advanced leadership role such as principal social worker, service manager or head of service
move into a training and consultancy role and deliver training programmes to social workers
specialise in quality assurance and compliance, ensuring standards and regulatory requirements are met

The Pathway 3: heads of service programme can help prepare you to progress to a head of service role.

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