Salary: £40,262 – £45,460 (including local weighting and market supplement)
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
A fantastic opportunity for a Supervising Social Worker has arisen within our Independent Fostering Agency (IFA)!
As our Supervising Social Worker, you’ll be an experienced Social Worker, ideally with fostering experience, and have a good understanding of the National Minimum Standards and Fostering Services Regulations.
You’ll build positive relationships with our foster carers and the children placed with them. Holding a caseload, you’ll ensuring the children are safeguarded by providing assessment, case planning and review of our foster carers, as well as providing support, guidance, and training to the foster carers.
This is a great opportunity for someone wanting to progress their career, bring their knowledge of working with young people and develop it too.
Main Accountabilities
- Ensure the child/ren placed with foster carers are safeguarded and foster carers are fully aware of their duties and responsibilities in line with all Regulations and standards and with policies, procedures (including with regard to allegations), guidance and financial, legal and insurance information
- Build positive relationships with foster carers and the child/ren placed with them
- Provide supervision to a caseload of foster carers
- Provide assessment, case planning and review of the foster carers ensuring timelines are met as laid down by the IFA and within the National Minimum Standards for Fostering in terms of completing these pieces of work
- Complete initial visits, initial enquiries, participate in the skills to foster training and all events that promote fostering
- Complete references and checks for potential and approved foster carers
- Complete Form F assessments within timescales for Stages 1 and 2
- Undertake direct work with children to understand their lived experience within the foster placement
- Give support and guidance to foster carers to help them manage their responses and feelings arising from caring for children, particularly when challenging behavior is presented
- Understand the needs of the foster carers own child/ren
- Ensure planned breaks from caring are provided for foster carers as appropriate
- Work with other partners and stakeholders to ensure the voice of the child and their wishes and feelings are taken into account in all aspects of their care
- Report concerns, identify risks, respond to care plans and move children on in accordance with their needs in agreement with the Practice Manager and Services Manager
- Ensure foster carers receive appropriate training in order to provide care and support, health and safety, enjoyment, education and preparation for the future of the child/ren in their care
- Provide support and guidance to ensure foster carers access the correct stakeholders when ensuring the child/ren achieve their full potential in educational attainment
- Ensure all assessments are robust and fit for purpose
- Promote and safeguard the wellbeing and interests of the child / young person at all times and through all aspects of work
- Be responsible for managing a complex and independent workload, ensuring legislative requirements are met to a high standard and within required timescales
- Act as a senior professional, using knowledge and experience in a specialist area and from own professional experience to provide advice, support and ‘critical friend’ challenge on cases to colleagues to support them in their work
- Support students working in Slough Children First
- Ensure foster carers understand contact arrangements with the child/rens family
- Ensure all trackers, systems and reports are updated in a timely manner including ICS/Charms and that they are accurate
- Write reports using chronological order
- Take part in recruitment and activity events
- Arrange and deliver Skills to Foster to potential foster carers
- Deliver training to approved foster carers on a variety of issues
- Complete assessments for potential foster carers and present to panel
- Ensure children’s files are kept up to date and accurate
- Actively participate in supervision and appraisal processes
- Actively participate in team meetings or any other meetings internally/externally
- Provide duty cover in the office as allocated
- Provide cover of the out-of-hours duty telephone line when allocated, ensuring ability to respond to any requirements needed
- Generate leads for potential new foster carers and home from home carers
- Ensure the safeguarding of children/young people in line with the role and responsibilities
- Undertake any other duties as commensurate with the level of responsibility of the role. This is as assessed by the management team
- Attend all mandatory training in line with the requirements of the role as advised by your manager and other training as and when required
- Adhere to all SCF policies and procedures at all times
- Positively demonstrate the values and behaviours required by SCF at all times
- Ensure own Health & Safety while carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the role and report any issues, accidents or near misses appropriately
- Adhere to all legislation in terms of practice, policies and procedures for the role including the National Minimum Standards for Fostering and SW England standards
Person specification
Education, Training and Experience
Social Work England registered – this role is a Regulated Activity (essential)
Relevant degree (essential)
Commitment to CPD (essential)
Must have 2 years experience of working as a Social Worker within children’s services, fostering experience is desirable (essential)
Must have a good understanding of the National Minimum Standards and Fostering Services Regulations (essential)
Knowledge of the Childrens Act 2004 (essential)
General and Specific Knowledge
Strong verbal and written communication skills (essential)
Ability to build good working relationships and maintain them (essential)
Excellent listening skills in order to translate verbal discussion into written reports and assessments (essential)
Solutions focused with consideration to the feelings and wishes of the child/ren and the foster carers (essential)
Thorough understanding of safeguarding child/ren (essential)
Excellent eye for detail (essential)
Ability to work within frameworks and to timescales (essential)
Ability to write analytical reports that are fit for purpose (essential)
Ability to have a flexible approach to working hours (essential)
Understanding of and commitment to equality and diversity (desirable)
A satisfactory DBS check (essential)
Full clean UK driving licence (desirable)
Access to own vehicle (desirable)
Apply online
If you would like to apply for this post, please use the online application form to submit your CV and apply online at Vacancies | Slough Children First (talosats-careers.com)
The deadline for submitted applications is 31st July 2024.
Good luck!