Team Manager - Children With Disabilities


Company:	inploi
Salary:	Competitive
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Tameside, OL6 6BH
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	30 Sept 2026
Closing date:	30 Oct 2026

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Summary

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Grade J. Scale 40 - £53,051 to Scale 43 - £56,293 with a professional bar at Scale 41 - £54,143**

Hours Per Week: 36

Base Location: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6BH

Assessment Date: 28th October 2026

The Role

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of disabled children, young people and their families? Do you bring Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation and Courage to your practice? If so, Tameside is looking for you.

This is an exciting time to join Tameside's Children with Disabilities Team. As part of our ambitious Families First transformation programme, we are investing in and expanding our specialist service to ensure children and families receive the right support, at the right time, from the right professionals.

We are looking for a skilled and motivated Social Worker to join a team that is passionate about achieving the very best outcomes for children and young people with disabilities. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a growing service where your knowledge, experience and ideas will be valued as we continue to shape and develop our offer for families across Tameside.

Our Children with Disabilities Team supports children and young people with complex and enduring disabilities, health needs and additional vulnerabilities. We pride ourselves on delivering relationship-based, strengths-led practice that keeps children and families at the centre of everything we do.

Unlike many frontline social work teams, caseloads are carefully managed to reflect the complexity of the work. This provides practitioners with greater opportunity to undertake meaningful direct work, build trusted relationships with children and families, and focus on achieving sustainable outcomes rather than managing high volumes of cases.

A particular strength of our service is the close partnership working with health colleagues. Social workers work collaboratively alongside Occupational Therapists, Community Nurses, Paediatricians, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, SEND professionals and a range of specialist services. Joint assessments, shared planning and coordinated interventions are embedded within our practice, providing a truly holistic response to children's needs.

Practitioners who enjoy multi-disciplinary working and collaborative problem solving consistently thrive within our Children with Disabilities Team. The role provides a unique opportunity to develop specialist expertise while working alongside highly skilled professionals who share a commitment to improving the lives of children and families.

At the heart of this role is our Heart of Support Practice Approach, underpinned by the 5 C's: Compassion, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conversation and Courage. These values are the golden thread in how we work with children, families and each other.

You will be supported by an experienced Team Manager through a comprehensive induction programme, regular reflective supervision and access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities from our social work academy, including systemic practice training and specialist disability-focused learning.

To further support your practice, Tameside has invested in Beam (formerly Magic Notes), helping to reduce administrative tasks and maximise time spent with children and families.

About You

What You'll Bring

You will be an experienced and confident leader with:

A recognised social work qualification and substantial experience within statutory children's services.
Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and safeguarding frameworks.
Expertise in identifying and responding to all forms of harm, including extra-familial harm and exploitation.
A commitment to relationship-based and strengths-based practice.
The ability to work collaboratively with children, families, communities and partner agencies.
A passion for anti-discriminatory practice and promoting inclusive services that reflect the diverse needs of families.
A relentless focus on ensuring children's voices, experiences and best interests are at the heart of decision-making.
The ability to inspire, support and develop staff through high-quality supervision, reflective practice and effective leadership.

Why Tameside?

At Tameside, we are ambitious for our children, families and workforce. We are creating an environment where social workers can thrive, feel valued, and do the work they came into the profession to do.

You will receive:

A comprehensive induction and tailored support from your Service Manager.

Access to high-quality systemic practice training and professional development opportunities.
Regular reflective supervision and leadership support.
The opportunity to shape and influence practice as we embed the Families First reforms.
A collaborative culture where learning, innovation and improvement are encouraged.

If you are ready to lead with courage, champion systemic practice, and help shape the future of children's services in Tameside, we'd love you to join us.

About Us

Message from Jill Colbert, Director of Children’s Services

“I joined the council at the beginning of 2025 and was instantly charmed by the warmth, openness, and energy of colleagues.

“I came to Tameside for one reason; because I know we can do fantastic things for our families here.

“We’re a children’s service on a significant improvement journey. We know what needs to be different for our children and families and we’re ambitious to deliver that change.

“We have a growing range of specialist services for children, where you can test and grow your skills and practice. We have a Social Work Academy that is led by people who bring passion to learning and who know that the DCS’ of the future are right in front of them. We are working on our progression pathways so that staying in Tameside is rewarded and recognised. We have investment in innovation and improvement from the council so that we can grow services and support for families that we can sustain, from family hubs through to complex safeguarding.

“I am so certain that we can build a proud, inclusive and safe climate for great practice to flourish in Tameside. I’d love you to join me on the journey here at Team Tameside.”

At Tameside, we are committed to ensuring all our Citizens lead long, fulfilling and healthy lives. We are committed to supporting economic growth, providing high quality health and care services, protecting our most vulnerable and creating strong and supportive, self-sufficient communities.

We recognise that our people drive our success and enable the organisation to deliver on its vision, purpose and priorities, and that our people are our most important resource and asset. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours, and are at the heart of everything that we do; and we understand that how we do things is just as important as what we do. We pride ourselves on living by our STRIVE values of Support, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Value Diversity and Engage. Our values underpin our practice and behaviours and are at the heart of everything that we do. How we do things are just as important as what we do.

Our employees’ skills, experience and knowledge are essential to our success along with their happiness, wellbeing, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation to be the best they can.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. This position is subject to Enhanced with Barred List Disclosure Procedures.

** This post is classified as being in a professional job category. As such the grade for the job has a professional grade development bar which employees can progress through subject to meeting the following criteria:

1. Relevant professional qualification for the job role at Level 6 or above AND a management qualification, AND

2. Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in the role, AND

3. Maintained membership of a regulated body where this is a requirement to practice in the role where applicable, AND

4. Professional standards practised to the highest expected level.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to developing a culture which respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential. We are proud to be an accredited disability confident employer. Reasonable Adjustments will be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 in relation to the Job Role Criteria.

Our rewards and benefits package can be viewed here

For further information about this role please contact the recruiting manager Maria Palma on maria.palma @tameside.gov.uk