Family Services Manager

About the role

We are looking for a friendly, confident, resourceful and well-organised Family Services Manager to lead and develop the delivery of family services across the Dacorum Family Services (North and East) partnership.

Based at Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School, the role supports schools across Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and the surrounding villages. You will work closely with schools, families, children and young people, local services and other partners to develop effective services and strengthen support within the local community.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys partnership working, developing services, managing people and resources, and making a positive contribution to outcomes for children, young people and families.

About the role

The Family Services Manager will provide leadership for Dacorum Family Services (North and East), working on behalf of the schools' partnership.

You will:

• develop the delivery of family work services through effective partnership working;

• provide support and line management for school-based family workers on behalf of the schools' partnership; and

• monitor and evaluate the services being delivered, using performance information and data to support effective decision-making and service development.

The role is 24 hours per week, term time only, normally worked Monday to Thursday, 9.00 am to 3.30 pm, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break. There is some flexibility around the working pattern. The salary range for this role is £44,444 (H9, point 28) to £48,738 (M1, point 36), with the starting salary dependent on the successful candidate’s experience and knowledge.

Please note that the advertised salary is based on a full-time equivalent. The actual salary will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, according to the contracted working hours and number of weeks worked.

Ideally, we would like the successful candidate to start on Monday 2 November, although alternative arrangements may be agreed with the right candidate.

The post holder will report to the Headteacher of Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School.

Key responsibilities

As Family Services Manager, you will have responsibility for a broad range of partnership, management, planning and service development activities.

Partnership and service development

You will:

• facilitate the development of effective partnerships to enable the delivery of local services, including services for children with SEND, Sports Partnerships, 14–19 partnership work and extended services;

• establish and develop close working relationships with schools, partners and the wider community;

• assess the needs of the partnership and identify opportunities for service development;

• develop strategies for creating stronger community links; and

• promote the partnership's aims positively to children, young people, families and other stakeholders.

Leadership and management

You will provide effective leadership and management for school-based family workers, including:

• line management and performance management;

• supervising staff and workloads;

• supporting colleagues in a positive and non-judgemental way;

• developing good working relationships within the team; and

• holding stakeholders to account where appropriate.

Business planning, funding and commissioning

You will provide leadership for the partnership's business planning process, working with schools, partners and funding sources to secure resources.

This will include:

• negotiating with schools, partners and funding sources;

• sourcing external funding;

• obtaining funding from a variety of sources;

• developing new and innovative approaches to commissioning services; and

• contributing to contract negotiation and commissioning activity.

Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

A key part of the role will be understanding the effectiveness and impact of family services.

You will:

• monitor, review and evaluate locally delivered family services;

• interpret local and national data, statistics and performance information;

• research, analyse and present information to assess the need for service development;

• report performance data and statistics to Hertfordshire County Council;

• provide reports to partnership schools, governing bodies and the Local Authority; and

• use evidence and information to support effective planning and decision-making.

Communication and community engagement

You will be responsible for the effective marketing, promotion and communication of the partnership to children, young people, families and the wider community.

You will need to communicate confidently and effectively with a variety of audiences, including through presentations, written reports and other media, and gain the commitment of stakeholders to the partnership's work.

About you

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate experience and knowledge across a range of relevant areas.

You will have experience of:

• working in a business environment, including managing staff and budgets;

• supervising staff and workloads;

• working within an education or social care environment.

When completing your application, please use the Personal Statement section to tell us a bit about yourself and how your skills, experience, and interests make you a great fit for this role. 

Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All post holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and other safeguarding checks. Note that the school will undertake an online search as part of the recruitment process. 

We welcome visits to our school. If you would like to arrange this or want to learn more about the role, please contact Stephany Hunter, Headteacher on 01442 401 222 or [email protected].