Team Leader of the Year, Children’s Services

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.”