Deputy Manager - Social Care

Job Title: Deputy Manager Responsible to: Line Manager Location: Dromore West Objective To ensure that the delivery of Gateway Residential Care is carried out to the highest standards that meet both professional and business requirements.   Main purpose of job To supervise the Children's Home on the day-to-day basis and to deliver a high quality, integrated approach that enables young people placed in Gateway Residential Care to achieve positive outcomes. To work proactively with your Manager to contribute to the optimum delivery and development of the Gateway Residential Care. To promote a culture within Gateway Residential Care and all aspects of its work that is respectful, non-discriminatory, and embracing of diversity.   Specific Tasks/duties and responsibilities Responsible for:  The effective delivery and day-to-day running of the Gateway Residential Care, within the framework of Gateway Residential Care policies and procedures, and statutory regulations. To lead and support the Social Care team to deliver a high-quality service that promotes young people's safety, well-being, and development.   To contribute to the development of the service and to implement plans.   Duties:  To provide a written on-call update on Friday to Manager's in relation to centre provide an update on a Monday morning to Manager(s) in relation to weekend activities.  To uphold confidentiality in relation to any discussions with Managers regarding staff. Being aware of professional boundaries when acting as Deputy Manager. To be open and honest in interactions with Manager(s). To provide weekday on call to the Manager. To be responsible for the Health & Safety, Fire Safety & Maintenance works. To ensure files in the house are kept to HIQA standards. To ensure team meeting agendas & minutes and house meeting minutes and agendas are on file. To ensure all administration is up to date To chair team meetings/house meetings  To be responsible for petty cash, rotas and hours. Ensuring that all referral/discharge documentation is prepared to follow up. All files are prepared for potential residents prior to moving in.   To meet with HSE representatives / Inspector/ Monitor and communicate effectively and respectfully to such parties To ensure all reports are written to a good standard and forwarded to relevant people. To contribute to and participate in care planning meetings and reviews.  Ensure that all documentation provided at reviews is collected and disposed of safely upon return to office.  Inducting new member(s) to the team. Ensure that staff receive a full induction and are up to date on all policy and procedures.  To alert the line Manager of any concerns or issues in order to ensure that action is taken promptly.  Through your interactions with staff, young people, and professionals to role model a positive, empathetic, and respectful approach at all times To continue to perform your role as Acting Person-In-Charge to the highest standard. Specific Tasks regarding the Children/young person The post holder is responsible for the optimum delivery of the Gateway Residential Care.   To ensure that all standards in relation to young people are upheld within the statutory framework and Gateway Residential Care standards.    To ensure that the Children's Home reflects a culture that is inclusive, warm and nurturing where young people's well-being and development is promoted.    To ensure that all matters regarding child protection are promoted and responded to in a pro-active and diligent manner. To protect young people from harm inside and outside of the Home.  To ensure that young people's needs are recognised and met where possible. This includes, ensuring that young people are free from discrimination within the Home and to challenge discrimination within and from outside the Home.  To ensure that the Home meets the needs of individual young people and the needs of the group. To take a lead role in agreement with your Manager for responding to referrals and assessing young people's suitability for placement.  To ensure that the admission of young people is welcoming and reflects the expectations of the placement plan.  To ensure that young people's progress is regularly reviewed and that the care team are adapting their approach in relation to young people's developmental needs. To ensure that young people are informed of their rights and responsibilities enabling them to take greater control of their lives.  To attend young people's case reviews, planning meetings and other meetings as required.  To ensure with your Manager that transition plans for young people leaving the Home are carried out positively and within Gateway guidelines. Specific Tasks regarding Staff The post holder is responsible for the supervision of the Social Care team. It is also part of this responsibility to ensure that the Social Care team works positively with Education and Therapeutic Support Services as part of an integrated Gateway team.   To provide each member of the Care team a minimum of 1 supervision per month.    To be pro-active in supporting the Social Care team by ensuring that there is opportunity for discussion with individuals and in team meetings.    To ensure that the Social Care team is appropriately supported and trained in dealing with challenging situations and the demands of the work. To liaise with Education and Therapeutic Support Services to ensure positive and supportive levels of communication.  To ensure that every staff member under your supervision and your Manager within Gateway are informed of all relevant issues, especially significant incidents, as appropriate.  To ensure effective recruitment processes for the Social Care team and to be directly involved as appropriate.    To ensure effective staff training and development and to be directly involved the delivery as appropriate.  To be involved in the monitoring and where necessary the discipline of staff.  To ensure that Social Care Workers are appraised annually.  To ensure that the Social Care team are working within an environment and conditions that comply with health and safety and employment regulations.  To ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained in the Home and that cover is provided where there is illness or annual leave. Specific Tasks regarding Policies and Procedures The post holder is responsible for the effective implementation and compliance with all Gateway policies and Statutory Regulations.  To ensure that all Gateway policies and procedures relevant to the Children's Home, and Statutory Regulations are followed and implemented appropriately. To ensure that your Manager is notified of any proposed changes to policy for approval and to not allow any changes without approval.  To ensure that the Children's Home is complying always with Statutory Regulations.   To ensure that the Home is maintained to a high standard, reflecting a warm, cared for, nurturing and child centered environment. To ensure that all written communication and records, such as, daily reports, incident reports, monthly reports to SW's, Case Review reports, etc., are written to a high professional standard.   To monitor all communications to ensure that they reflect the quality of therapeutic work taking place, including the context of any situations referred to and follow up work, etc.   To ensure that the recommendations from monitoring visits are responded to in a timely and appropriate manner. To positively lead the supervision of the Children's Home to achieve the level of Outstanding.  To liaise wherever necessary with external professionals in response to inspections to ensure the professional representation of the Children's Home and Gateway.  To ensure that all significant matters regarding the care and well-being of young people are reported to the appropriate individuals and authorities within the set time scales.   To pro-actively maintain Gateway's policy on confidentiality, equal opportunities, and anti-oppressive practices. Specific Tasks regarding Placing Authorities  The post holder is responsible for ensuring that Gateway has a highly professional partnership with placing authorities, that positively support young people's placements. To ensure that referrals are responded to in a professional and timely manner, in line with the Gateway admissions procedure. To positively support the Director in the representation of Gateway and the Children's Home to potential placing authorities. To ensure that the Children's Home is proactive in communications with placing authorities. To ensure that communications and regular updates with placing authorities regarding the progress of young people are always carried out in a professional and timely manner. To ensure that all statutory arrangements with placing authorities such as case reviews are carried out in a professional and timely manner. To represent the Children's Home at all relevant meetings. Specific Tasks regarding Development The post holder is responsible to contribute to the development of Gateway and implement changes as agreed with the Manager. To raise any general matters related to the positive development of the Children's Home and Gateway with the Manager. To ensure that the requirements of the post holder's development are acted upon in agreement with the Manager. To positively contribute to and implement change in agreement with the Manager.  General Tasks To undertake any other appropriate tasks requested by your Manager within the competence of the post holder. This is a description of the job as it is at present constituted. It is the practice of Gateway to periodically examine job descriptions and to update them to ensure that they relate to the job as then being performed, or to incorporate whatever changes are being proposed. It is Gateway's aim to reach agreement on reasonable changes, but if agreement is not possible, Gateway reserves the right to insist on changes to the job description after consultation with the post holder. Conditions of work This post requires a flexible approach to working hours, primarily to ensure the safety and well-being of young people and staff.   Person Specification O Level 7 or 8 in Social Care. O Professional Qualification in teaching, social care, social work or youth work O At least 3 years post qualifying experience in mainstream residential care. O At least 3 years direct experience of working in and/or managing services to vulnerable children and young people. O Excellent communication and report writing skills. O I.T Skills O Full clean drivers' licence which has been held for one year or more.