Social Care manager

Role: Social Care Manager / Interim Social Care Director (Maternity Cover) 

Reports to: CEO, Gabriela Faria

Time Commitment: 32 hours/week; March 2025- March 2026

Context:

The Social Care department provides administrative support and emotional care to Lisbon Project community members. It does this through two separate teams, the Bridge Team and the Care Team, which collaborate on the same three outputs:

1.  Daily 1:1 Drop-in – in-person support

2.  Information platforms - AdminHub and External Mapping Platform

3.  Family Friday Plus workshops with specialist guest speakers at least once a month

Neither the Bridge Team or Care Team are hired professionals, they do not casehold or take ongoing responsibility for a community member’s situation: both teams work in collaboration with community members, coming alongside them to understand the challenges, consider the options and encourage the community member towards fuller autonomy in undertaking the next steps identified together, remaining available for future drop-ins as and when required. 

 In line with the department and organisation’s wider approach, where more specialist support is required, our aim is to connect community members to appropriate services outside of the Lisbon Project as effectively as possible. We are helped in these efforts by partnerships; connections made through Family Friday Plus workshops and by these external experts accepting the invitation to join our Bridge or Care Team Expert Panels through which volunteers can continue to benefit from their knowledge of the wider landscape of services and support. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Recruiting, training, scheduling and supervising Bridge and Care Teams

• Developing partnerships with social care organisations and institutions: channelling their expertise into departmental activities. 

• Organising monthly workshops with external experts (Family Friday Plus)

• Overseeing Coordinators’ development of the LP’s bureaucratic and specialist mapping information platforms: AdminHub and External Mapping Platform 

• Ensure regularity of Reflective Practice Sessions, alternately for Care Team and full LP Team; protecting the safe space for team members to share, reflect and process emotional and safeguarding challenges they experience in role 

• Coordinating ongoing efforts of elevating safeguarding practices across all Lisbon Project teams: reviewing quarterly risk assessment updates from every team and ensuring each programme or activity has a Care Team Member allocated to them for additional emotional and safeguarding support

• Supporting Safeguarding Investigation Lead receiving and responding appropriately to submitted Safeguarding Concerns and Complaints of Disrespect

Person Specification:

Required

Highly Desired

Fluency in Portuguese and English is required Qualifications, studies or experience relating to social work, mental health or law Experience in leadership or management roles  Familiarity with Portuguese administrative systems and specialist social care support  Experience in intercultural communication and/or with communicating with people in vulnerable situations  Experience managing expectations and maintaining clear boundaries while building trust and warm relationships Ability to work independently while also in active communication with other team members  Commitment to serving migrant communities with care and compassion Strong organisational skills and attention to detail  Experience of developing and managing Safeguarding Policies in pragmatic, realistic and dynamic ways that seek to enhance support provided while managing risk safely

Knowledge of other community languages is highly desirable (Arabic, French, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati)  Qualification and experience in therapy or therapeutic techniques and experience of transferring clinical skills to non-clinical settings

Benefits:

• Gaining significant leadership experience in a bold and dynamic organisation

• Contributing to social impact: self-fulfilment and personal growth in pursuing a valuable cause. 

• Growing your knowledge: learning about immigration related processes, contexts, and realities as well as other NGO related topics in Portugal. 

• Becoming a part of the LP team and community – its diversity of people, passions and foods!  

Salary:

• 10,800.00€ Annual - Recibos Verdes

Application Process:

• Please send your CV and cover letter to peopleandculture@lisbonproject.org

We can’t do it without you!

Thank you for being a part of our team!