Social and Community Service Managers

Social Work & Counselling Services

Level 6636 of 1200 points

Job description

Social and Community Service Managers

Job purpose

To plan, direct and coordinate a social service programme or community outreach organisation, managing the staff and volunteers who deliver it and the budgets and policies governing participant eligibility and benefits, so that community needs are met and resources are used effectively.

Skills

Combines client service and social care knowledge — psychology, therapy and counselling, group behaviour and community need — with management knowledge to plan a service, allocate resources and lead staff. Draws also on personnel practice for recruitment and training, on the regulations governing eligibility and benefits, and on budgeting and record systems. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with a substantial minority holding a master's or post-master's qualification, together with several years of related experience.
Directs professional and technical staff and volunteers, giving guidance and building the team, and interviews and hires or signs up new ones. Advises agency staff and other community programmes on the interpretation of regulations and policy, speaks to community groups about the agency's purposes, and represents it to government and media. Maintains relationships with other agencies so that need is met without duplication, and deals directly with clients, taking referrals, evaluating need and resolving complaints.
Determines what the service should do and how well it is doing it: researches community needs to set programme direction, evaluates the work of staff and volunteers against quality and resource use, judges compliance with regulation, and analyses proposed legislation for its effect on services. Problems are open-ended: need exceeds resource, evidence is incomplete, and the interests of clients, staff and other agencies diverge, with consequences for clients and staff.
Sets long-range objectives and the administrative procedures that meet those set by the board of directors or senior management. Schedules activities and the work of others, implements and evaluates training, and directs fundraising and the preparation of public relations material. Determines own tasks and priorities within that framework.
Desk and computer work on records, reports and budgets, with meetings, speaking engagements and travel to other agencies and community sites. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

Manages the staff and volunteers who deliver the service: recruits and appoints them, allocates and schedules their work, evaluates their performance and the quality of what they deliver, and provides training. Accountable for the outcomes of those workers and for their health and safety. Influence extends to other agencies and community programmes advised on regulation and policy.
Plans and administers budgets for programmes, equipment and support services, deciding how resources are deployed and ensuring they are used effectively. Participates in setting policy on participant eligibility, requirements and benefits, which determines how funds reach clients. Discretion sits within objectives set by the board or senior management.
Responsible for equipment and support services provided for in the budget, with ordinary care of a workstation, record systems and a vehicle.
Prepares and maintains the records the service runs on — budgets, personnel records, training manuals and reports to the board — and interprets regulations and policy for others. Personnel and participant information is confidential, and errors in eligibility, benefit or compliance records carry consequences for clients and the organisation.

Effort required

Decisions are frequent, consequential for colleagues and results, and made across several strands at once — programme direction, staffing, regulation, budgets and client matters — with accuracy expected in records and reporting. E-mail, telephone and face-to-face contact is continuous, and the work is done under time pressure.
Carries the emotional weight of a service for people in need: client contact including needs evaluations, advocacy referrals and complaints, and dealing with angry or discourteous people and conflict situations. Also carries responsibility for staff and volunteers, their performance and their safety, and represents the agency publicly when its decisions are challenged. Composure and impartiality are required.
Predominantly seated indoor work, with movement between meetings and travel by vehicle to other sites. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled premises, with travel by enclosed vehicle to other agencies, community sites and meetings. No hazardous conditions, noise or weather exposure are recorded. The exposure is psychological and emotional: continuous contact with staff, clients and the public, conflict situations, and accountability for others' health and safety.
Around four in five work a regular established schedule and the rest an irregular one; a small majority work more than forty hours a week, and no shift, night or on-call working is recorded. Considerable freedom to make decisions and determine priorities within objectives set by the board or senior management, exercised under time pressure and continuous contact with staff, clients and outside bodies.

Skills

40% · 265 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Advanced communication and interpersonal skills. The job holder is required to manage complex interactions, mediate interpersonal conflicts and support group collaboration.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 4 of 5
58 of 72 points
Advanced organisational skills required. The job requires planning and managing complex, often overlapping tasks or schedules. The job requires a degree of autonomy and joint planning, and managing interdependencies across teams or departments.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 236 points▾

PeopleLevel 3 of 5
86 of 144 points
Moderate responsibility for people. The job includes overseeing or coordinating the work and well-being of others. This may involve supervising, providing regular support, managing conflicts, responding to an individual's needs and ensuring the personal and professional development of individuals.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for financial resources. The job requires handling significant financial resources, including managing budgets, overseeing expenditures, being accountable for spending and participating in financial decision-making.

Effort

15% · 94 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 4 of 5
58 of 72 points
High psychosocial and emotional effort. The job involves frequent exposure to emotionally charged situations, requiring significant resilience and managing personal emotions while interacting with others.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 41 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.