Team Leader

Job Introduction

Are you caring and committed to supporting adults with Learning Disabilities? Are you enthusiastic about getting the best outcomes for people and their families and making a real difference to their lives?

We have a rewarding opportunity for someone with good communication skills to join our Short Breaks Service as a Team Leader.

You’ll work across different service areas as needed, planning and leading shifts, providing line management to support workers, cooks and housekeepers.

Main Responsibility

• Plan and lead shifts, providing direct care as required and managing a team of support workers, to ensure delivery of high quality, person-centred services for vulnerable adults.
• Undertaking risk assessment and management to respond to changes in need, proving calm direction during a crisis, and determining when it is appropriate to escalate to higher management.
• Ability to work across different service areas as needed, this will include early late and weekend shifts and this may include nights or emergency cover if needed.
• Providing continuity of care and support to people using services and ensuring service resilience.
• Providing line management to support workers, and (service dependent) cooks and housekeepers as needed, across different service locations.
• Facilitating joint working and ‘one team’ thinking through supervision, guidance and direct support.
• Ensure all recording is to a high standard in accordance with MKCC policy and legal requirements and guidance, including The Care Act, Clinical Governance and CQC.
• Contributing to service audits, to provide data and detail as required, taking an operational lead role in designated areas.
• Undertake tasks relating to the management of HR issues such as recruitment, ill health and capability management, attendance monitoring, performance management and fact-finding.
• Collating information, writing, and delivering reports as required under MKCC policy.
• Taking responsibility for decision making and on the spot risk assessment and management, escalating to higher management as required.
• Lead on completing assessments as required by the service, this will include planning transitions into the service, developing support and risk management plans and supporting teams to develop the skills required to support individuals effectively.
• Where delegated this will include delivery of Shared Lives service functions reporting to the Registered Manager.
• Represent the service in reviews and monitoring, this will include working with carers, families and people who use the service as well as working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to ensure best outcomes for people using the services.
• Represent the service in a professional capacity in a variety of setting and meetings, including contributing to responding to concerns and complaints, linking these to service improvement and learning, ensuring outcomes are delivered and maintained.
• Ensure support workers and shared lives carers undertake mandatory training and ensure compliance.
• Provide coaching and mentoring and sign off training as needed.
• Ability to organise and monitor efficient staff rotas, including outside of normal office hours, considering all service areas and continuity of support to ensure safe service delivery.

The Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrable experience working with vulnerable adults.
• Working knowledge of relevant legislation including the Care Act and CQC requirements.
• Confident ICT skills and ability to learn other systems as required.
• Proven ability to exercise highly developed influencing skills to affect change across teams.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, with ability to write / record relevant information clearly and concisely.
• For this role you are required to have a full UK driving licence and provide evidence of your vehicle insurance with business cover and use of a vehicle. If you are successful, you will be required to supply evidence of your licence prior to starting the role.
• Should you be offered the role, as part of the pre-employment checks an Enhanced DBS will be actioned for you (unless you are on the DBS Update Service).

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years.  In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.

• Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.

• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.

• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.

• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week.  Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference. 

We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.