Team Manager - Safeguarding

Position: Locality Team Manager
Team: Locality Safeguarding – Central & South West
Contract: Locum
Pay Rate: £40.00 per hour
Location: Wakefield (based within Early Help Hubs)

Sheldon Phillips are working in partnership with Wakefield Council to recruit an experienced Locality Team Manager to lead services across the Central and South West areas. This is a pivotal leadership role within Children’s Services, overseeing a locality safeguarding team of seven Social Workers based within Early Help Hubs.

You will be responsible for driving high-quality practice, ensuring timely and effective interventions for children and young people in need of help and protection, and embedding a culture of strong professional curiosity, reflective supervision, and outcome-focused practice.

What You Can Expect:

  • Responsibility for leading a well-established locality team of seven Social Workers

  • A role embedded within Early Help Hubs, supporting integrated and preventative practice

  • Strong partnership working through the Wakefield Families Together cluster

  • Opportunity to influence service delivery and practice standards across the locality

  • Supportive senior leadership with a clear focus on workforce stability and quality

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Providing operational leadership and management of the Locality Safeguarding Team

  • Driving consistent, high-quality practice across Child in Need, Child Protection, and care proceedings work

  • Ensuring effective oversight of assessments, plans, and interventions

  • Delivering regular, reflective supervision and supporting staff development

  • Managing performance, workload allocation, and statutory compliance

  • Working closely with Early Help, health, education, and partner agencies

  • Promoting shared accountability and strong collaboration within the Wakefield Families Together cluster

  • Embedding a learning culture that delivers timely and positive outcomes for children and young people

Requirements:

  • Professional Social Work qualification (Degree or equivalent)

  • SWE registration

  • Proven experience leading and managing social work teams

  • Strong knowledge of relevant legislative and policy frameworks impacting Children’s Services

  • Ability to develop a high-performing, motivated, and resilient workforce

  • Confident decision-maker with strong leadership and communication skills

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Team Manager who is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children and young people, and who thrives in a collaborative, locality-based model of practice.