Programme Manager – London – Daybreak

ABOUT US

We are a leading UK charity delivering Family Group Conferences (FGC). Building on over 25 years of experience, we are now exploring new and innovative ways of working alongside families and communities. We are doing this at a time when the Government has set out a clear vision for Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) to become a central offer to families experiencing challenges and engaging with Children’s and Families Services. This is a pivotal moment to join our organisation and help shape the future of this work.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role could suit two types of candidates:

• A practitioner with experience of working with children and families who wants to use their practice experience in a programme management role, or;
• An experienced programme manager with strong public sector and/or charity sector experience, who is confident working with data and is relational and collaborative with colleagues and partners.

It would be an advantage, though not essential, to have experience of Family Group Decision Making, solution-focused practice, or the children’s social care sector.

Whilst this role is a managerial role, and not day-to-day family-facing we do make space for our Programme Managers to hold a limited number of referrals each year to nurture skills and practice experience. Full practitioner training is provided for all Daybreak employees.

The role is home based with regular travel into Bromley and Hackney Local Authority offices. A successful candidate would also need to actively work in person with commissioners, external partners, and communities in and around Bromley and Hackney on a regular basis, depending on service needs. Willingness to travel to other areas, depending on service need and growth is needed.

What does a week look like for a Daybreak Programme Manager?

No two weeks are the same, but as a Programme Manager you can expect to balance a mix of operational oversight, supporting your freelancer team, and stakeholder engagement. Typical activities include:

Ensuring a quality service for families, and delivering on contract aims

• Reviewing and triaging referrals, including case discussions with referrers.
• Quality-assuring referrals and Family Plans, ensuring procedures are followed and records are kept up to date in our case management system.
• Monitoring case records to make sure Family Group Conferences are progressing appropriately, and accurate records are being kept.
• Collating and analysing performance data (KPIs), using MS Excel and other tools.
• Writing quarterly reports for commissioners, analysing service delivery, providing narratives and identifying areas for development.

Working with your freelancer team of Coordinators

• Allocating new referrals to our team of freelance Independent Coordinators.
• Engaging Coordinators in best practice discussions, providing guidance to overcoming barriers or issues.
• Acting as the first point of contact for safeguarding concerns, reviewing incident reports and escalating when required.
• Hosting in-person and online Practice Development Groups to share key messages and facilitate best practice discussions.
• Recruiting, inducting, and supporting new Coordinators – from advertising and interviews to observing practice.
• Reviewing and signing off invoices from freelance Coordinators.

Working with external stakeholders and referrers

• Building relationships with referrers such as Social Workers, through consultations and attending team meetings.
• Promoting our services to commissioners and senior managers in children’s social care, ensuring referrals are high quality whilst also raising awareness of the value of FGCs and our service.

Contributing to the wider Charity aims

• Attending Programme Manager and staff team meetings.
• Contributing ideas and expertise to strengthen processes, improve service delivery, expand our offer to families, and support Daybreak’s wider charitable goals.