About the role:

The Advice Service Manager is responsible for all advice team operations and developing the Kinship advice pathway.

You’ll manage a team to deliver a consistent, high quality and effective service. You’ll be responsible for developing and implementing systems and monitoring service quality and performance.

Continuously improving the service, embracing digital solutions and creating efficiencies and processes to drive performance, you’ll increase our ability to provide more support to kinship carers across England and Wales.

You’ll ensure that kinship carers are able to access the information and advice they need in an accessible and consistent way within a clear operational framework.

Key responsibilities include:

• Deliver high quality, targeted and tailored advice to kinship carers in England and Wales.

• Develop a service framework that delivers a consistent service within clear timeframes.

• Set out clear expectations for enquiry response across all channels.

• Manage daily advice line operations, including work on cases, data and continuous improvement.

• Act as deputy designated safeguarding officer (DDSO) providing clear advice on actions needed when safeguarding concerns are raised.

• Develop and manage a high performing team.

Essential criteria includes:

• Substantial working knowledge of advice service delivery frameworks.

• Working knowledge of call handling and client record systems.

• Working knowledge of assessing the needs of individuals (e.g. social care, financial and legal) to provide appropriate advice and information.

• Substantial experience managing an advice service or similar, ideally in a health, social care or charitable organisation.

• A strong background in advice work with proven experience in an advice-giving role.

Download the full job pack here.

Key dates:

• Deadline: 9am, Monday 8 July 2024

• Interview 1: 24/25 July 2024 (2 hours, online). This interview will consist of an online interview and presentation; and a team session, including preparation time and facilitating a team activity.

• Interview 2: TBC

How to apply:

We will ask you for your CV and to respond to the following five questions via the Applied platform. Please note that all answers will be viewed anonymously by reviewers and CVs will not be viewed until after this sift has happened. This is the first opportunity to demonstrate your experience and to stand out in the recruitment process. Reviewers will not see all your answers together and will be marking on the strength of the response to each question. Once this is complete, both will be reviewed together. You will have 250 words per answer.

Questions for application (along with CV):

1.      Using examples of your work, give an overview of how your experience equips you to be an effective and dynamic advice service manager.

2.     Give examples of how you have used operational frameworks to deliver consistent and boundaried advice services. If you have similar experience in another field please clearly demonstrate how that experience would transfer into this role.

3.     Describe how you have used call handling and client record systems in your work giving examples of how you have integrated the use of both within your practice.

4.     What makes you a great team manager? Give examples of how you have supported teams and individuals to flourish and when you have had to step in to address behaviour or performance issues.

5.     Give an example of service innovation you’ve led or been involved in. Outline your role and approach, how you involved users and the service improvements that were delivered as a result.