Alternative Futures Group is the North West’s largest Mental Health and Learning Disability charity. With a strong track record of over 25 years, we work locally in the community and through our Treatment and Recovery Centres to provide a wide range of innovative and bespoke care services.
We have a vision to create a world where people control their lives. Here at AFG, we pride ourselves on helping the people we support to design, develop and ‘own’ the support they receive by planning this with them; we support people to make informed choices and increase their own independence; and we support people to maintain their own health, wellbeing and living environment. These principles are really important to us.
As a ‘values based’ employer, the people that work for us genuinely care about the people they support, and we are seeking likeminded people to join our AFG family. If you are passionate about working in Health and Social Care and have a real desire to make a positive difference to the lives of the people we support then we would love to hear from you.
About the role of Team Leader
As a Team Leader you will lead and direct a team in developing person centred services to successfully deliver service user and contract outcomes. You will also develop staff skills and knowledge in delivering high quality services that are designed and delivered to meet the needs of individuals.
The principle accountabilities of the job are:
- To follow the principles of person centred approaches in all areas of operation.
- To be responsible for assessment, planning, monitoring and reviewing of individual support.
- To ensure appropriate information is captured, reported and analysed.
- To lead and manage staff to ensure that the highest levels of performance and standards are achieved and maintained at all times, to promote and nurture good practice.
- To ensure that staff skills, gifts, qualities and strengths are put to best use.
- To manage the recruitment of staff, and to co-ordinate and deploy staff resources efficiently and effectively.
- To develop and maintain a customer focussed ethos at all times and to ensure excellent working relationships with other professionals.
- To ensure all staff receive appropriate levels of support through on the job coaching, regular supervisions and appraisals, and ensure their training and development needs are identified and met.
- To organise and facilitate positive and productive team meetings.
- To ensure practice in line with company policy, procedure and legislation.
- To ensure the service delivery meets the required quality standards, and to evidence quality service delivery.
- To promote community connections.
- Embed a quality assurance framework at a service level.
- To ensure that all internal and external reportable events are appropriately managed and resolved.
- To assist the Area Manager in effective resource management.
The required Skills and Experience you will need are:
- Ability to inspire and drive person centred principles and practices
- Ability to assess, plan and monitor care and support to achieve individual outcomes
- Ability to engage with service users and their families and carers, to develop positive and trusting relationships
- Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to demonstrate a significant knowledge and understanding of the needs of people with mental health or learning disabilities and be familiar with the current views and best practice.
- The ability to lead and manage a team.
- The ability to use person centred tools to develop individuals and teams
- Ability to apply policy and procedure in a way that results in quality outcomes for people
- Ability to demonstrate initiative, self-motivation and resourcefulness
- Effective resource management
- Ability to use ICT for information, performance reporting and communication
- Knowledge of equality and anti-discriminatory practices
- Excellent time manager who has the ability to plan and prioritise a complex workload.
We need you to have a willingness to work flexible hours (including on call) over 7 days per week, including unsocial hours and weekends, according to the needs of the business.
You will also need an NVQ 3 qualification in management or care (or equivalent) or a willingness and ability to complete such a qualification within a set time period; in addition to training in Person centred practices (planning, review, team development)
We value the people that work with us…
At AFG we recognise the contribution and value that our staff make. We would not be able to provide the life changing support that we do without people like you! In return for your contribution we will support you throughout your career and we provide a wide range of employee benefits, career development (including opportunities to undertake vocational qualifications) and lifestyle support services to ensure that you too feel supported, fulfilled and valued from day one of your employment with us.
You will also have an opportunity to join our pension scheme whereby AFG will match any individual contributions between 3% and 5% of salary.
We require a driver with access to your own vehicle for this role, this position will work in Nelson and the surrounding areas.
This position is Band II as per our structure.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
