Job info	Job info details
Job title	Recruitment and Retention Team Manager
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Business unit	The Learning Academy
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Head of Service, The Learning Academy
Accountable to (line manager)	Head of Service, The Learning Academy
Salary grade	K
JE ref	CSERV032

1. Key purpose of job

• To improve outcomes for all children, young people and families across Torbay.
• To recruit and retain the skills and behaviours required of Children’s Services workforce to deliver its services and meet its goals, objectives and aspirations. 
• To lead and manage the development and implementation of effective and robust recruitment and retention practices for the Children’s Services Workforce. 
• To lead on strategic recruitment and retention projects as requested by the Head of Service, Learning Academy.
• To provide management support to ensure that Children’s Services recruitment and selection procedures and practices meet operational needs and are fully conversant with council policy, good practice, legislation and safer recruitment practices.  Ensuring that this is integrated into learning opportunities and understood across Children’s Services.
• To be responsible for ensuring the quality assurance of recruitment services, working collaboratively with key stakeholders and partners both internally and externally.
• To be responsible for ensuring that the Children’s Services Recruitment and Retention Strategy remains relevant, up to date and continues to meet operational needs, council policy, legislation, good practice and safer recruitment practices.
• To lead the development of strategies to address reasons why staff and agency workers wish to leave Children’s Services. 

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• A developed practice of collaborative, joint working and shared learning across the South West region and national networks and bodies, promoting innovation and enhanced recruitment and retention initiatives.  
• Improved rigour in the monitoring and evidencing of outcomes as stated in the Children’s Improvement Plan.
• The current vacancy rates for permanent positions within Children’s Social Care reduce as a minimum to the national rate and the Council’s reliance on Agency staff diminishes and the number of staff remaining with the Authority for more than 3 years increases thus reducing the current turnover rates.
• An enhanced use of data and an intelligence led decision making process within the recruitment field.
• Effective, sustainable relationships are built with managers across the local authority, the South West Regional local authorities, national regional networks and bodies.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
• In conjunction with the Divisional Director, Head of Service and Service Managers, manage and continuously develop the recruitment processes ensuring they respond to national, regional, local and Department for Education (DfE) reporting requirements and provide accurate and timely information for Heads of Service to understand their business needs. 
• Responsible for ensuring relevant and appropriate challenge is in place to ensure appropriate recruitment decisions are made in line with policy, legislation and safer recruitment practices.
• To develop and deliver training to embed Recruitment best practice within Children Service’s in line with policy, legislation and safer recruitment practices.
• To manage GDPR compliance in line with Torbay Council’s policy with respect to the retention of documents held within recruitment and leaver documentation. 
• To undertake individual audits on Children’s Services Recruitment processes, agency compliance checks and co-ordinate and manage practice development outcomes.
• Responsible for keeping up to date with relevant policy, legislation and professional developments at a national and local level. Interpreting information and making recommendations. 
• To support the development of a performance and business culture that is focused on outcomes and that is rigorous in offering evidence so that improvements can be made and tracked.
• To chair and be project lead for the South West Regional Workforce Group, made up of 14 Local Authorities, to develop and retain a sustainable workforce of skilled social workers across children’s services in the region and drive down the cost of employing agency staff.
• Manage quarterly pay data collection exercises from the South West Regional Workforce Group, analyse the data received and present to the Group, Divisional Director, the Learning Academy and the Director of Children’s Services.
• Responsible for completing workforce data returns and requests to the Department of Education and Ofsted.
• Create and analyse monthly recruitment and retention reports to inform strategic reports for Divisional Director and Director of Children’s Services strategic meetings.
• Work with the Children’s Services Leadership team to support and implement changes within children’s services including restructures.   
• Work with the Children’s Services Leadership team to seek out pragmatic solutions to difficult and complex workforce issues within the service.
• Ensuring posts within Children’s Services structure stay within the designated budget.
• Ensure policy development and review activity across the Recruitment service, including statutory requirements is co-ordinated and aligns with Torbay Council policy.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• To develop and implement ways to improve efficiency reduce costs through a range of approaches including service re-design, better demand management and supply options.
• To monitor the budgetary performance of the service within the Scheme of Delegation, being responsible for ensuring that budget spend relating to Recruitment and Retention are on line and appropriate action is taken to address any pressures.
• To make optimal use of available resources in support of policy and strategy.
• Monitor and approve agency timesheets and expenses in a timely manner.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• To demonstrate leadership competencies, acting with openness, honesty, integrity, instilling a clear sense of direction and purpose, priority and pace. Manage people in an inclusive way to deliver operational objectives.
• Ensure that all staff within the Recruitment Team adhere to the supervision and appraisal policy, and implement any other relevant management procedures. 
• To be responsible for effective direct line management and supervision of one Recruitment and Retention Lead including recruitment, motivation, performance management, identification of development plans, absence management, resolution of conflict and implementation of change in line with council employment procedures and policies.
• To be responsible for staff within the Recruitment and Retention team including one Recruitment and Retention Lead and one Recruitment Support Officer.
• To establish annual objectives and ensure that these are cascaded to team members. monitoring their performance through the appraisal process.
• Take responsibility for the continuing professional development of staff by ensuring that all team members are given ‘protected time’ to pursue learning opportunities. (Minimum of half a day per calendar month). Through this process ensure that appropriate national professional standards/competencies are being met and monitored.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working environment and conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal Resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External: 
  • Other Local Authorities, other public sector organisations, South Devon College, prospective job applicants. 
• Internal: 
  • The Children’s Services Director, Divisional Directors, Heads of Service, Service Managers across Children’s Services, Children’s Services colleagues, Torbay Council’s HR, recruitment and payroll teams. 
  • Members of the Council and Staff from across both the service and the Council as a whole.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council. 
• This post is office based at The Town Hall, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Recruitment and Retention Team Manager
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Business unit	The Learning Academy

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Excellent prioritisation and organisation skills and ability to use resources effectively and efficiently.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills, to develop positive working relationships.
• Ability to challenge, influence and negotiate where required.
• Highly effective IT skills including the use of Microsoft office software, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams and Outlook. 
• Excellent written and presentation skills and the ability to present information in a variety of settings.
• Ability to interpret employment legislation and Department of Education guidelines.
• Proven problem-solving skills – the ability to identify causes and make objective and informed judgements.
• Proven analysis skills – the ability to use data to measure and forecast outcomes, understanding implications for deployment.
• The ability to demonstrate resilience under pressure and deliver on time and to remit.
• Ability to be confident and competent when under external and internal scrutiny.
• Ability to lead and inspire.
• Self-awareness and understanding of own strengths and areas for improvement.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Project management skills. 
• Research and evaluation skills. 

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Knowledge and experience of business management in Children’s Services. 
• Specialist knowledge of Safer Recruitment and its application in the recruitment process.
• Detailed knowledge and thorough understanding of employment legislation including GDPR and the Equality Act and recruitment best practice.
• Thorough understanding of Department for Education guidance and developments in services to children young people and families.
• Understanding of effective management practices, particularly as they relate to planning to achieve agreed objectives and providing leadership.
• Knowledge of current and emerging recruitment trends in the Children’s Services sector.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge and experience of project management. 

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Previous experience in a senior recruitment or similar role. 
• Experience of managing staff including staff development.
• Extensive experience of developing and implementing policies and strategies. 
• Previous experience of the change process, including restructures.
• Experience of managing a team including staff development. 
• Strong experience assuring quality and ensuring compliance to policy and procedures.
• Evidence of promoting and maintaining an ethos of continual learning and evidenced informed practice. 
• Understanding and experience of performance monitoring and performance management techniques to drive service improvement.
• Proven experience of interpreting and analysing recruitment and retention information.
• Experience in report writing and responding to correspondence.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Previous experience working in a public sector environment. 
• Experience of working in more than one professional area. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Leadership and management or HR qualification to degree level or equivalent. 
• Professional qualification at master’s level or equivalent. 
• Commitment to continued professional development. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• CIPD membership. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.