Operational Manager

Job Summary: The Operational Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership across regional and national services ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality, innovative and evidence-informed services.

Working closely with the PAC-UK Senior Leadership Team the postholder will drive service improvement, embed best practice and support staff development across regional and national teams

The role will also contribute to shaping national approaches through local insight, ensuring that services align with PAC-UK s strategic priorities, relevant legislation and Family Action s values and policies.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

1.To manage, support and supervise Practice Managers to ensure that the services provided are efficient, effective, offer high quality and work to measurable outcomes.

2.To have overall responsibility for ensuring that Practice Managers are making the best use of resources by overseeing the annual budget-setting process and by closely monitoring income and expenditure on a regular basis with Senior Leadership Team Members.

3. Assist Practice Managers in the allocation of cases, management of caseloads drawing on contract monitoring data to support decision making

3.To work with Practice Managers to make sure that all commissioned services meet their performance targets and comply with the relevant contract monitoring and reporting arrangements. Including preparing performance data, presenting monitoring reports at commissioner meetings.

4. To manage, support and develop PAC-UK volunteers which includes robust inductions, supervision and opportunities for additional trainings and developments relevant to the role.

5. To lead on and support the development of PAC-UK's voice and influence work (including ongoing co-design and co-production of services and leading on events such as National Adoption week alongside other regional/national voice and influence events.

6.To ensure that all projects are fully compliant with Family Action s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults policies, procedures and practice standards.

7.To oversee the safe recruitment of new members of staff, and to make sure that all members of staff have coherent job descriptions, are properly inducted, receive regular supervision, are subject to an annual performance appraisal and have up-to-date development plans.

8.To be a passionate advocate for service user participation and involvement: children, young people and adults, and to work with Practice Managers to increase the opportunities for service users to influence and shape the way adoption services are designed, developed and delivered, including oversight of volunteers.

9.To support Practice Manager in setting and implementing Continuous Service Development Plans, Practice Wheels, Open to closure pathways and logic models as part of a commitment to continuous service improvement.

10.To identify gaps and any shortfalls in performance and, by working collaboratively with staff and Practice Managers to develop practical solutions to address them.

11.To promote a positive public image of Family Action to increase public and professional awareness of Family Action s work and support the Senior Leadership team in securing new and re-commissioned contracts.

12. With close support of the Senior Leadership team, manage service budgets to ensure sustainability and value for money. Identify and respond to financial and performance risks and prepare business cases and financial plans for service development.

13.To develop good working relationships with funders, commissioners and other key stakeholders within the Adoption Sector and to contribute to local strategic and national Adoption initiatives, as appropriate.

14.To ensure the implementation of Family Action s Diversity & Equality Policy and our Ethical Policy in every aspect of your work and positively promote the principles of these policies amongst colleagues, service users and other members of the community.

15.To comply with Family Action s Health and Safety Policy, Data Protection Policy and to protect your own and others health, safety and welfare.

16.To work flexibly as may be required by the needs of the service and carry out any other reasonable duties as required.

17. To have strong safeguarding understanding and experience and act as safeguarding lead in conjunction with other Operational Managers and the National Lead.