Team Leader - Initial Assessment

Closing Date: 3rd September 2026 Contract Type: Permanent Salary: £58,173 - £61,734 Hours: 35 per week Stirling Council is looking to progress and develop the ambitious vision for Scotland's young people as laid out within The Promise. We are seeking to transform services to ensure families are supported in a way which meets their needs at the times they require it. This is in line with the Scottish Governments recent drive for early, holistic support for families. An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead and manage our Initial Assessment Team, responding to requests for assistance around welfare and protection for children and families in Stirling, who are not currently working with our service. This team supports children and families across the whole Stirling area. The successful candidate requires to have good organisational skills to prioritise multiple demands and to be adaptable in their day-to-day work in response to emerging and at times competing needs. The post holder will support this team to recognise and respond to the need for holistic support in avoidance of further crisis, but will also be adept at supporting practitioners and families in crisis situations, which may escalate to formal Child Protection or Looked After processes. The successful candidate would lead a team of Social Workers and Support Workers who would undertake initial assessments of need, and would work with families to build appropriate support plans to scaffold families. The successful candidate would use effective communication and networking skills to build relationships with partner agencies to support collaborative multi-agency assessment. This will include supporting discussions in returning to existing Team around the Child forums where Social Work support is no longer required, or alternatively navigating families into the statutory system to form relationships with fieldwork Social Work teams who will take forward longer term pieces of work where there is an identified need. In Stirling this is a key element of how we will collectively keep The Promise. We want to ensure children, young people and families can access the support they need, where and when they need it. Should you wish an informal discussion prior to application, please contact Karen Bryce (Service Manager) on 01786 404040. Requirements We are looking for a dynamic, confident and highly motivated individual with degree level qualifications and successful experience of working in a management role to lead this team. As well as the relevant qualifications, professional registration and experience, we are looking for a successful candidate who has a can do attitude, vision, is passionate about supporting children and their families. We are seeking an individual who demonstrates initiative, excellent communication skills and self-discipline. More details are available in the job description. The successful candidate will be required to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) for Children and Adults. If your application is progressed after the interview, you will be asked to complete the form and have your details verified. If you’ve got the right skills for the job we want to hear from you. We encourage applications from the right candidates regardless of age (restrictions apply to Modern Apprenticeships), disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief or race. Job Description Additional Salary Information Stirling Information The Benefits 30 days annual leave plus 7 public holidays (rising to 35 after 5 years continuous service) Pro-rated for part time roles. Flexible working including hybrid office/work from home arrangements where the role allows . We have a good balance across our teams, retaining the benefits to work/life balance of working from home part of the week, with the collaborative and social benefits of working from the office 2-3 days per week Biennial incremental progression until top of your payscale is reached Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme. For further details visit https://www.scotlgpsmember.org/about-the-lgps/ Up to 6 months full sick pay and 6 months half pay dependent on length of service Carers Leave Up to 4 weeks paid Paternity Leave Access to Health & Wellbeing support Ongoing opportunities for Learning & Development Cycle to Work Scheme Lift share Scheme Car Lease Scheme Technology Benefit Scheme