Team Leader of the Year, Children’s Services

https://vimeo.com/193552965

Bianka’s colleagues describe her as representing the benchmark against which all other managers should be measured. Her success in this this category is founded on virtues – calmness, leading by example, making time for others – that may sound uncomplicated but are crucial when it comes to building successful teams in high-pressure environments.

After 12 years in the Chelmsford assessment and intervention team, which she’s managed since 2013, Bianka certainly knows her own working environment well. Though she no longer carries a caseload, she’s always willing to support others by attending visits and meetings – in doing so benefiting her own understanding of cases and offering service users the option of talking through concerns with a manager.

Bianka has also helped her staff develop through a variety of routes, including encouraging them to go on secondments in order to better understand how other teams operate. She has fostered the development of individual specialisms – housing and benefits, for example – creating a pool of knowledge within the team.

While staff who work with Bianka are therefore well-equipped for career progression, it’s notable that turnover in her team is low. No wonder one of the judges commented: “I’d love to give her a job.”