This summary provides an overview of Brenda Côté's curriculum vitae: Brenda Côté has over 25 years of experience in social work and management in both Canada and the UK. She currently works as the Joint Team Manager for the Northern Learning Disabilities Team in Norfolk, managing a team of 55 professionals. Previously, she held several managerial roles in adult social care and children's services in Norfolk. Brenda has extensive experience in areas such as safeguarding, quality assurance, budget management, and staff supervision and development. She has a Master's degree in Social Work and is a registered member of the Health and Care Professions Council.

1. Curriculum Vitae
Brenda Côté
Address: 15 Winners Walk
Drayton
Norwich, NR8 6YP
Contact details: Tel: 01603 866805
07531624286
bleecote@hotmail.co.uk
Profile
I am an enthusiastic individual with an established history of strong
management skills, excellent leadership abilities and professional work ethics.
My work methodology includes valuing people first and person-centred
approaches, holistic and family centred interventions and systemic practices. I
value a model of care which promotes integration, diversity and cohesion.
My management style combines a structured approach, consistent work
practices and a strong commitment to standards of excellence in all areas of
my responsibilities. I believe in a strength-based philosophy. I enjoy meeting
new challenges and have a strong history with developing high performing
teams as well as innovative practices. I am an outcome-focused manager with
years of extensive operational and strategic experiences. I have worked
alongside key partners throughout my social work / management career
including health, mental health, social care, education and housing. I have
experience with regulatory activities with both Ofsted and the Care Quality
Commission.
Employmenthistory
03/15 – current
Joint Team Manager
Northern Learning Disabilities Team (LD)
Adult Community Social Care
Norfolk County Council
Joint Team Manager for the Northern Locality Adult Learning Disabilities
Services. I was tasked with addressing a large number of performance issues
with staff, to introduce systemic changes to the joint health and social care
team, to recruit and appoint in order to tackle the high vacancy rates in the
team.
My role consists of introducing and implementing work procedures and
processes in accordance with community care practices. I manage both
health (Norfolk Community & Health Care) and social care staff (Norfolk
County Council). The multidisciplinary team is comprised of 55 professionals
(Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Physiotherapists, Speech and

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Language Therapists, Community Learning Disabilities Nurses, Social
Workers and Assistant Practitioners) and a large business support team. My
role is to ensure consistent operational and financial activities, to lead on the
delivery of assessments, social care planning and review services for adults
with learning disabilities who also who present with co-morbid features
including Asperger, personality disorders, mental health, early dementia
(prevalent among Down’s Syndrome), physical disabilities, speech and
communication issues etc.
I monitor and support the portfolio for younger service users transitioning to the
Adult Services. This is a pivotal role for the service, it requires strong
interdepartmental coordination and communication with Children's Services,
Education, Health and other key partners. The Transition portfolio is key to
ensuring a smooth pathway for Looked After Children and young people with
special needs.
I am responsible with achieving key performance indicators in line with national
outcomes frameworks for the NHS, public health, adult social care and the CCG
outcomes indicator set (COIS). I am responsible for staff performance, staff
recruitment as well as ensuring a culture of best practice, equality and ethical
standards of care. I am responsible for managing the Complaints and
Compliments as well as maintaining positive customer relationships.
As Team Manager I am required to Chair a large number of meetings including
Safeguarding strategy, Best Interest (Mental Capacity Act 2005), Quality
Assurance, Multidisciplinary, Professional and Clinical meetings. I am
responsible for the management of quality assurance issues around
Residential and Nursing registered homes. This involves close networking with
NHS partners, CCG’s (Clinical Commissioning Groups), Quality Assurance
Teams, CQC and NCH&C (Norfolk Community Health & Care) and other key
agencies.
I sit on the Northern Locality Safeguarding Partnership group, the
Transportation Performance Board, the Winterbourne working group, the
Clinical Management & Professional Board and the Work /Delivery Group for
Repackaging of Care project.
I Chair trimonthly Locality Safeguarding public forums and sit on the Norfolk
Learning Disabilities Partnership Board.
As the Responsible Budget Officer for the Northern Locality I oversee and
manage the financial budgetary spends, financial forecasts, cost analysis and
contribute to the strategic and business plans for the service.

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04/13 – 04/15
Team Manager
Adult Community Social Care Northern Locality
Norfolk County Council
I am responsible for both operational and strategic portfolios. Our target group
includes adults with physical disabilities, dementia / mental health conditions
and elderly people. I am responsible for managing customer services by liaising
and working jointly with the county compliments and complaints services.
I oversee Safeguarding referrals and ensure best practice with all staff as well
as chairing strategy meetings. I am responsible for the management of quality
assurance issues around Residential and Nursing registered homes. This
involves close networking with NHS partners, CCG’s (Clinical Commissioning
Groups), Quality Assurance Teams, CQC and NCH&C (Norfolk Community
Health & Care) and other key agencies. I chair Best Interest meetings (Mental
Capacity Act 2005), attend some section 117 meetings or manage professional
activities for both teams.
I represent the locality on the Clinical Commissioning Homecare Steering
Group; I hold the portfolio for the Broadland District Council and North Norfolk
District Council Integrated Housing and Adaptations Teams (IHAT); I sit on the
Safeguarding Northern Locality Strategic Board; I manage the Dementia and
Complexity in Later Life (mental health) portfolio as well as being lead manager
for Community Care Assessments with Prisons (Care Act 2014).
As the Responsible Budget Officer for the Northern Locality I oversee and
manage the financial budgetary spends and efficiencies, financial forecasts,
cost analysis and contribute to the strategic and business plans for the service.
Other responsibility areas include recruitment and appointment of staff,
performance targets and key indicators for the operational services,
performance management, standards and disciplinary procedures and
knowledge of Housing, Social Care and Health legislations.
10/10 – 04/13
Joint Team Manager – CQC Registered Manager
South Norfolk Learning Disabilities Team (LD)
Adult Community Social Care
Norfolk County Council
As the registered CQC / Joint Manager of a large multi-disciplinary team for
South Norfolk, I am responsible for the delivery of community care assessments
as well as providing community specialist health services for Adults with
Learning Disabilities. Key duties include management of both NCH&C (Norfolk
Community Health and Care) and NCC (Norfolk County Council) policies and
procedures, achieving health targets (KPI’s), performance outcomes,
operational budgets as well as health and social care practice compliances. I
also recruit and appoint staff, ensure supervision lines are consistent and
support the team’s wellbeing. As a CQC Registered Manager, I ensure

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compliance with all fundamental standards – record-keeping; support plans;
safeguarding; staffing; treating people with respect etc.
I also chaired bi-monthly Southern Locality public forums, managed the
complaints and compliments issues, ensured Safeguarding procedures were
adhered to (including Datix reports), chaired Best Interest Meetings and
oversaw other professional activities.
10/09 – 09/10 (secondment)
Project Manager
Eastern Safeguarding Project
East of England Local Authorities
Developed by Norfolk, Cambridge and Suffolk County Councils, this project
involved the participation and engagement from 11 East of England Children’s
Services Local Authorities. Following Laming’s report (2009), the project aims
to improve Best Practice and Evidence-Based Approaches to working with
Children and Families. The management of the project included the
coordination of Strategic and Operational Boards, preparing and presenting
reports as well as research updates as well as implementing the Board’s action
plans. Other activities included Peer Review Training, the design of a Web Site
and interactive forum, research projects alongside key partners, national
conference presentations and Stay Safe Grading assessment tools.11/08 –
09/09 (secondment)
Manager
Norfolk County Council
Children’s Services
Assessment Team – Eastern District
Great Yarmouth
I managed the front door team for all referrals to Children’s Services ensuring
services were provided in accordance with legislation, departmental policy and
procedures as well as performance targets. I was responsible for recruitment
and retention strategies, managed the action plans following internal and
external Ofsted inspections, managed the customer complaints and staff
disciplinary investigations. I was responsible for budgets, I participated in
weekly panels to discuss proposals for Special Educational Needs as well as
long-term high cost packages of care for children with complex needs. I worked
closely with key partners including health, education, housing and legal
agencies. I chaired a large number of meetings including statutory review
meetings for children and families, Safeguarding strategy meetings etc.
02/07 – 10/08
Registered Manager
Children’s Services
Norfolk County Council

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Easthills Residential Children’s Home & 16c Reception & Assessment Unit
My main role is to adhere to and apply the National Minimum Standards -
Children’s Homes Regulations and to provide effective management and
development of the service. I led in the areas of analytical social work reports
with regards to the residents and statutory bodies (Looked after Children), care
plans, risk assessments and intervention strategies for residents transitioning
to adulthood. I managed the long-term strategic bed planning activities,
managed risk assessments as well as advocating for the development of
resources on behalf of the young people. I was responsible for providing
OFSTED self-assessments and other statutory information and ensured the
follow-up action plans. I provided staff supervision, coordinated staff training
and development (health and safety, first aid etc.), and promoted staff
wellbeing. As the Registered Manager, I was also the RBO (responsible budget
officer).
03/06 – 02/07
Advanced Practitioner
Norfolk County Council
Children’s Services
Social Services Department
Pre and Post-Birth Assessment Team
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital
As an introduction to the United Kingdom, my role as Senior Social Worker was
to provide consultation to the assessment team and monitoring of the Social
Worker’s reports (linked to specific social work theories and frameworks). I
managed complex cases and presented assessment reports to the Initial Child
Protection Conferences (ICPC) as well as managing Court of Protection cases,
producing Court Statements and Care Plans in a timely fashion. I ensured
continuity of Child Protection plans’ core group meetings and maintained
important links with community agencies and services.
09/00 – 02/06
Provincial Manager
New Brunswick Psychiatric Patient Advocate Services.
Department of Health & Wellness.
Mental Health Services.
New Brunswick, Canada
Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Minister, my role is to ensure the effective
management of the provincial programme which is guided by the New
Brunswick Mental Health Act legislation. I was responsible for implementation
of department policies and procedures, budgets and operational activities. I was
responsible for networking with health professionals, legal stakeholders, police
and other community agencies. I was responsible for the management of staff
including hiring, supervision and performance reviews. I was responsible for the
recruitment and appointment of Solicitors and public members to Tribunal and
Review Boards.

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I produced an annual report which highlighted yearly statistics, analysis of the
client group, performance measures, organizational developments as well as
financial data.
08/94 – 08/00
Clinical Director
Provincial Youth Treatment Programme – Pierre Caissie Centre
Department of Health & Wellness. Mental Health Services.
Moncton
New Brunswick, Canada
The Youth Treatment Programme (YTP) seeks to respond effectively to young
people with severe behavioural issues and other mental health needs. The
programme is delivered by multidisciplinary regional teams. If need be, those
teams can make use of the provincial consultation and assessment service at
the Pierre Caissie Centre, a six-bed residential facility. The assessment makes
it possible to analyze various aspects of the client’s functioning and to suggest
strategies, based on identified strengths and needs that could be used when
the young person returns to the community. The Centre provides residential
support staff, a consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, a full-time
teacher, psychologists, social workers and other professionals who offer
comprehensive and integrated assessments and reports.
I was responsible for the Clinical Direction of the YTP and the Residential
Assessment Centre ensuring clinical and strategic activities, staff recruitment
and supervision, chairing of multi-agency meetings, providing workshops and
conferences to provincial and national forums and many other responsibilities.
I led on financial budgets, managed the quality assurance and regulatory
activities as well as producing a yearly report.
09/89 – 07/94
Social Worker and Assistant Team Manager
Child Protection Services.
Department of Family & Community Social Services
Grand-Falls, New Brunswick, Canada
Reporting to the Regional Director, I was responsible for Child Protection
Services across the area. I managed a caseload of complex Child Protection
cases and coordinated the Court of Protection Referrals. I was responsible for
staff development and training around domestic violence and supported
Student Social Workers Work Experiences. I ensured best practice standards
around Social Care Interventions and contributed to Peer reviews and research
initiatives. I was responsible for the Domestic Violence portfolio and chaired the
inter-professional Steering Group to this effect.
Other relevant work experience
09/01 – 12/05 Part-time Lecturer Universite de Moncton
School of Social Work

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New Brunswick, Canada
2002 – 2005 Research Assistant W. Morrison & Associates
1999 – 2006 Private Practitioner New Brunswick, Canada
Educationand qualifications
20-05-2012 Foundation in National Open College
Mediation Skills Network – Certificate number
(6 credits) 5173899
04/1998 Master’s in Social Work Universite Laval
Laval
Quebec, Canada
04/1989 Bachelor’s in Social Work Universite de Moncton
Moncton
New Brunswick, Canada
Membership of professionalbodies
01/06 - Present Member
Health & care professions council (hcpc)
Registration Number SW69792
Training and Development
 Promoting Independence – Dr John Bolton (August 2015)
 Applying the Care Act to Practice – UEA (May 2015)
 Care Act 2014 and Prison Responsibilities (HMP Norwich) (June 2015)
 Putting People First (June 2015)
 Management Responsibilities in Safeguarding (2015)
 Warner Skills (Adults Services) (2015)
 Government Direct Information Security (2015)
 Data Protection Essentials (2015)
 Management Mentor Framework with Assistant Director John Joyce
(2013)
 Management Leadership Development Programme (2012-13)
 Datix reporting – NHS (2012)
 Root Cause Analysis and report writing – UEA (2012)
 Mental Capacity Act 2015

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Other Training: Multi-Agency Core Training Programme, Undertaking Good
Assessments, Appraisal course for Managers, Health & Safety for Managers,
Safeguarding Procedures and Chairing Strategy meetings, Emergency First
Aid, Communicating Effectively, Managing Staff Behaviours, Leadership
Strategies (Skillsforcare), Attachment Theory, Putting Analysis into
Assessment, Leading your team through change, Warner Interview Techniques
(Children’s Services), Peer Review Training, Personal Budgets etc.
Professional portfolio available to share
References available