Family Help Deputy Pod Manager

Employer: Wokingham Borough Council
Salary: £52,414 - £56,732 Per Annum, Plus Benefits (Pay award pending)
Location: Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End/Home Working
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Hours: 37 hours per week.
DBS Check: Enhanced
Closing Date: 13/09/2026 at 23:00
Reference:

We have an excellent opportunity for aFamily Help Deputy Pod Managerto join ourPegasus Podteam here at Wokingham Borough Council, on a full-time, permanent basis.

As Family Help Deputy Pod Manager, you will provide strategic leadership and case management support within the Pod, ensuring high-quality, child-centred social work practice aligned with statutory requirements, systemic theory, and the Family First agenda. You'll help to oversee a team of6 FTE Social Workers and 2 FTE Family Help Practitioners, deputise for the Pod Manager, and drive quality improvements across the team.

This role requires decisive action on complex cases, robust representation at court proceedings, statutory panels, and multi-agency meetings, and effective collaboration with courts, external partners, families, and internal stakeholders.

You’ll deliver reflective supervision, monitor day-to-day case progress, ensure purposeful plans and timely visits, and champion the principles of corporate parenting while embedding the Wokingham relational practice model across all service delivery.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a dedicated, resilient professional with substantial post-qualification experience in children’s social work, leadership expertise, and a commitment to safeguarding to join our team.

Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including:

Generous Annual Leave – 31 days annual leave (rising by 5 days after 5 years of continued local government service), plus bank holidays

GP Helpline - Available 7 days a week

Employee Assistance Programme - Including a 24/7Your CareHelpline

Free Onsite Gym - Located at Shute End Offices, Wokingham

Salary Sacrifice Schemes - IncludingCar andCycle to Work schemes

Local & Lifestyle Discounts - Save on shopping, entertainment, dining out & more

Move through Menopause Course

Sports & Social Group Activities – Including running, football, cricket & more

And more!

Key Responsibilities

• Providing case management and leadership support, ensuring high-quality practice and effective supervision of social care practitioners and social workers, including Early Help, Child in Need, Child Protection, court proceedings and Children we Care for.
• Model and lead on high-quality, child-centred social work practice aligned with statutory requirements, systemic theory, and the Family First agenda.
• Deputise for the Pod Manager, overseeing team performance, quality assurance, and reflective supervision promoting Wokingham relational practice model.
• Hold management and case management responsibility for a team, including professional supervision and assessment.
• Deliver reflective supervision, coach practitioners, and promote professional growth.

Candidate Requirements

• BA/MA/MSc in Social Work
• Substantial post-qualification experience in children’s social work/safeguarding
• Experience managing a team, including team performance.
• Experience providing supervision to practitioners.

Our Area

Wokingham Borough Council has recently been ranked 2nd most productive council in England by the Impower Productivity Index, recognising our strong performance and efficient use of public money.

Our Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside.

We’re home to a range of high performing schools, a host of international businesses and an incredible community. The borough has a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life.

Interview date: TBC

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually.

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.

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