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: 713477

We have an excellent opportunity for aFamily Help Deputy Pod Managerto join our Pegasus 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 24/7

Your Care Helpline

Free Onsite Gym
- Located at Shute End Offices, Wokingham

Salary Sacrifice Schemes - Including
Car
and
Cycle 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!

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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…