Vacancy: Senior Supervising Social Worker

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Social Worker to be part of growing fostering service. Family Fostering Partners is an established fostering agency in Wales and we have now been registered with Ofsted and expanding into England.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

• To participate in professional supervision and development as and when required by the Registered Manager, in line with the Family Fostering Partners’ Supervision Agreement.

• To work within the overall policies and procedures of Family Fostering Partners and its administrative and management processes, and to contribute towards the development of these with the objective of constantly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency’s work.

• Maintain and develop current personal knowledge regarding the regulatory and good practice environment.

• To ensure continued professional development by attending training courses as identified, and in agreement with the Registered Manager.

 

Supporting and Supervising Foster Parents

To effectively supervise and support Foster Parents by:

• Working with foster parents through regular supervision, in accordance with Family Fostering Partners policies and procedures, to make sure they fully understand their role, identify, and capture their development needs on a personal development plan, and provide appropriate organisational, professional, and personal support to ensure Foster Parents have the right skills and competencies to support children and young people.

• Ensuring Foster Parents respond to the supervision process and benefit from the supervision provided

• Undertaking additional support visits and/or other forms of contact as necessary and considering the needs of all family members.

• Supporting Foster Parents at all professional meetings.

• Participating in the Family Fostering Partners Out of Hours Rota

• Supporting Foster Parents in maintaining records as required by Family Fostering Partners.

• Contributing to the review, development, and performance of Foster Parents.

• Ensuring that placements are made and sustained in accordance with a child’s Care and Placement Plan and Family Fostering Partners’ policies and procedures.

• To bring to the attention of the Fostering Manager any Foster Parent who does not meet the performance criteria required and to work under the direction of the Fostering Manager to develop and implement an action plan to improve the Foster Parent’s performance.

• To bring to the immediate attention of the Fostering Manager any child protection or safeguarding concerns, in line with Safeguarding Policy and Procedures of the Local Authority and of Family Fostering Partners.

 

Training of Foster Parents

To support the continued development of Foster Parents by:

• Completing their induction into the fostering service. This includes helping them to draw up a Personal Development Plan identifying learning activities to complete the required Training, Support and Development Standards.

• Using supervision to actively monitor learning and develop ongoing training plans for their continuous professional development, providing support to enable Foster Parent to evidence, within timescales, levels of competency against required Training Standard, and following an assessment, sign off each standard.

• Facilitating and supporting post-approval training as required. This may include providing one to one training and/or co-facilitating group training.

• Ensuring that training is appropriate to the fostering task.

• Promoting their attendance at post-approval training, Foster Parent Support Groups, and other events both in person and online, to help Foster Parents meet their contractual obligations.

 

Recruitment of Foster Parents

To assist in the recruitment of new Foster Parents by:

• Promoting Family Fostering Partners through formal and informal methods.

• Assisting in information sharing days and events.

• Undertaking Form F assessments of prospective Foster Parents.

• Attending and presenting at Foster Panel as required.

 

Children in Placement

To work with the children placed with our foster families, ensuring that they feel safe and protected and feel that their views are heard effectively, by such means as:

• Professionally befriending them and being a ‘safe person’. It is the expectation that Link workers see and speak to children alone at least every third visit to the fostering household, and that children are involved in Monthly Link Worker Meetings with their foster parent to look at their progress and take forward what is important to them.

• Supporting them as necessary in relation to their care needs, including supporting them to access advocacy services and their Local Authority Social Worker if necessary.

• Helping to secure access to services, by, where appropriate, negotiating and challenging other professionals and organizations to provide the help required.

• Providing them with an age-appropriate copy of the Family Fostering Partners Children’s Guide and reading it through with them if appropriate. Ensuring they are aware of the contents and intent of the Children’s Guide.

• If appropriate, to provide one to one work with children. This may include life story work or

preparation for adoption.

• To support and assist in facilitating young people/children’s Forums/activities as part of Family Fostering Partners ongoing development in involving children in their service

delivery.

• To bring to the immediate attention of the Fostering Manager, or any other appropriate

authority, any matters judged necessary for example, child protection or whistleblowing.

 

Finding and Supporting Placements

To ensure that Family Fostering Partners Parents remain active and focused by:

• Participating in the process of ‘matching’ children with Foster Parents in accordance with the terms of the Foster Parents’ approval and with the agency policy.

• Obtaining contractual paperwork and CLA documentation from placing Local Authorities in good time for necessary administration, Foster Parent preparation, support, and supervision.

• Working with Local Authority representatives to ensure they meet their obligations regarding children in placement by promoting effective working relationships.

• Ensuring effective and proper Family Fostering Partners representation at CLA Reviews and at other meetings whenever a presence is appropriate.

• Providing a service which enables children and young people in placement to reach their full

potential.

• Assisting young people leaving care to be successful in their adult lives by supporting Local

Authorities to develop support plans and links with local organisations

• Assisting in the provision of timely and complete Foster Parent Reviews and other documentation required by the Panel.

 

Growing the Organisation

To promote the reputation and services of Family Fostering Partners’ by:

• Professionally representing the agency in all direct contacts with Local Authority Social Services and any other relevant stakeholder.

• Contributing to the development of promotional and marketing material.

• Positively representing Family Fostering Partners at local and national events and forums.

• Assisting in preparation and participation to any regulatory inspections carried out by

either Ofsted or CIW.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

· A recognised social work qualification, with a minimum of 3 years post qualifying experience within fostering or children looked after services.

· Some experience of undertaking Form F Assessments is desirable but not essential. However, candidates must evidence assessment experience.

· Valid registration with Social Work England and maintain compliance to retain job

role and registration.

· As part of this role, you will be required to travel around Herefordshire and

Worcestershire, and part of Wales bordering England to visit residences using

your own car and considering this you must hold a full driving license and have

a fully insured car.

· Good knowledge and comprehension of childcare legislation, regulation, and guidance,

ideally this should include regulations and standards for fostering.

· Excellent understanding of children’s safeguarding needs and recognise that children’s

safeguarding needs change

· Good knowledge of social care procedures and working practices, including commitment

to promoting equal opportunities and diversity.

· Good written and verbal communication skills

· Ability to challenge and hold foster parents to account for unsafe or concerning

behaviour, and an ability to practice in a way that can enhance professional

reflection and create change.

· Ability to work in partnership with children, foster parents, colleagues, other

professionals, local authorities, and birth family members, as part of the team

around the child, to ensure that the children and young people in our care reach

their full potential.

· Ability to work with Foster Parents to support children’s development based on individual

need, underpinned by therapeutic parenting strategies appropriate to the child

and their life experiences.

· Good time management and organisational skills.

· Ability to be reflective of own practice and areas for development

· Able to respond flexibly to the demands of the post and prioritise and meet deadlines.

· Good computer literacy skills and the ability to confidently use virtual mediums to

engage with foster parents and children and to deliver foster parent

supervision/meetings, when required.

· Understanding responsibilities in protecting your own health, safety, and wellbeing, and that of your colleagues and others.

 

For more information, or to receive an application form please email info@familyfosteringpartners.co.uk. Applications close at 5pm on August the 1st 2022