About The Job Salary: £39,152 - £41,771 a year plus £5,500 market supplement allowance and £963 essential car user allowance (subject to criteria) Hours per week: 37 Contract Type Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people? We are looking for an experienced and motivated Supervising Social Worker to join our dynamic Fostering Team, playing a key role in supporting some of the most vulnerable children in our borough. As a Social Worker within our Fostering Service, you will: Carry out the full range of statutory Family Placement responsibilities in line with the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services and Fostering Services Regulations. Promote the best interests of children and young people at all times. Manage a varied caseload that includes the recruitment, assessment, supervision, and training of foster carers. Deliver high-quality support and contribute to the planning and review processes for children in placement. Prepare and present detailed reports to the Fostering Panel. Work autonomously and in partnership with a range of professionals to ensure a seamless, high-quality service. Please note this role does not attract sponsorship. About You We are looking for someone with: Substantial post-qualifying experience in fostering and statutory children’s social work. A DipSW, CQSW or equivalent recognised professional qualification. Strong forensic assessment skills and the ability to supervise and support foster carers effectively. A thorough understanding of fostering legislation, regulations, and Care Planning and Fostering Regulations 2015. The ability to work on complex and challenging cases independently and as part of a team. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work with children, families, and multi-agency professionals. A sound understanding of child development, family dynamics, and the ability to assess risk of significant harm. Commitment to identifying gaps in service and influencing service delivery. Willingness and ability to visit children and families in their own homes regularly. About Us Luton Council has been selected to deliver the government’s Families First for Children Pathfinder programme. Luton is one of seven new areas in the second wave to be chosen with the aim of protecting vulnerable children from harm and improving services to help more children stay with their families in safe and loving homes. The programme is an amazing opportunity for Luton to shape future social care practice, which includes closer working relationships with our health, police, education and voluntary sector partners. Children are at the heart of everything we do in Luton, and we are very proud of the tremendous work that is already taking place together with our partners, including the development of our Family Hubs and working towards making Luton a child-friendly town where our children and young people can grow up feeling happy, healthy and secure. Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents. The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision? We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough Application process Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority. Additional Information We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include: From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility) Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel Friday Funday Socials - One Friday every 2 months where we encourage our staff to get together to socialise after work