Recruitment of the Children’s Services Work Team Manager (FOI)

Request

The Director of Children's Safeguarding and Care has recently appointed a social worker who was working in Jersey in a separate role on a fixed term contract, to project manage the development of a secure children's home in Jersey. I would like to know:

A

Is it the case that the post holder has been appointed to the role of Children's Social Work Team Manager (CS G12) despite this not being the role that the post holder will be undertaking? If so, how does this accord with Jersey Appointment Commission and SEB policy and procedure?

B

If this is not the case, what is the job title of the role that the post holder will be undertaking and is there a job description? May I see the job description?

C

Was a process of open recruitment selection used for the recruitment to the project manager role (ie job advertisement, shortlisting, interview and so on) ? If not, why not?

D

What was the rationale for not employing someone with five years residence to this role? Was a licence sought in making the appointment?

Response

A

No. The process was followed in accordance with the recruitment policy.

B

The job title of this role is Team Manager. As a member of the extended Children’s Services Management team they contribute to, and drive the development and implementation of policy and strategy for social care services overall.

The Team Manager job description is as follows:

Team Manager job description

In addition to the generic Team Manager role, the specific skills and experience for the role are outlined in the Exception to Open Recruitment form:

"In summary, this Team Manager role requires specialist skills and experience and knowledge of Jersey Care Regulations. The role demands for the post holder to have a social work qualification in order to promote a relationship based and trauma informed approach, using social work skills and extensive experience gained in social work settings, to include children’s homes.

The post holder needs to have experience of project and change management within social care environments.

After an independent review of children's homes, supported accommodation, short breaks and secure accommodation, recommendations for service redesign / development were made in relation to Greenfields secure home.

The Team Manager's role will be responsible for leading 'the Greenfield' project, which will involve an interdisciplinary approach through working with partners to broadly achieve the following:

• improve the quality of services delivered at Greenfields

• improving the health and wellbeing of all children and young people living at Greenfields

• support every child and young person to transition and re-settle successfully into Island life

• development and implementation of a trauma informed operating model for working with young people in a secure children's home

• to achieve a positive culture change in the service and improve staff confidence

• develop a skilled team of residential childcare officers who will become expert in supporting young people in the secure home and re-settle and transition the young people successfully into Island life

• develop a training and support programme for residential childcare officers and the therapeutic team who work with young people who access the services available at Greenfields

• explore and develop integrated, multi-disciplinary therapeutic services for children / young people looked after.

• develop a specialist service (with Greenfields as its base) which responds to the needs of young people and their families who are at the edge of care

• explore the pathway of children / young people coming into care of the Minister and look and develop services to meet the needs of these young people / children for example emergency accommodation, assessment of need, therapeutic interventions and so on

• develop a model / pathway for assessment and support to help children / young people rehabilitate to their families or transition to other provisions eg fostering families, children's home, supported accommodation

C and D

This role was not openly advertised. The appointment of the Team Manager was approved under an Exemption to Open Recruitment process. The rationale for not openly recruiting or employing someone with five years' residency was due to challenges in finding someone with the specialist knowledge, skills and experience required within the constrained timeframe, including knowledge of Jersey Care Regulations. The role also demands for the post holder to have a social work qualification in order to promote a relationship based and trauma informed approach, using social work skills and extensive experience gained in social work settings, to include children’s homes. 

The post holder will need to have experience of project and change management within social care environments. Within the time constraints, and in the circumstances, this approach of obtaining an exemption from open recruitment was deemed appropriate.

Yes, a licence was sought in making the appointment.