3 month contract role with a Local Authority Job Summary: • Shropshire Council is seeking an experienced Supervising Social Worker to provide sickness cover within the fostering service. • The role focuses on supporting and supervising kinship foster carers to ensure children and young people are provided with safe, stable, and nurturing placements. • The successful candidate will work collaboratively with carers, children, and multi-agency partners to promote positive outcomes, ensure compliance with fostering regulations, and maintain high-quality care arrangements. • The position operates on a hybrid basis across Shropshire, including home working and office attendance. Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample): • Provide regular supervision, guidance, and emotional support to kinship foster carers. • Support carers to provide safe, stable, and trauma-informed care for children and young people. • Empower foster carers to meet the developmental, emotional, and educational needs of children in placement. • Identify and address barriers to carers’ training and professional development. • Undertake regular visits to foster carers to monitor the home environment and the child’s wellbeing and progress. • Ensure fostering households remain compliant with fostering regulations, policies, and national standards. • Promote placements that prioritise children’s identity, safety, wellbeing, and long-term stability. • Ensure children’s wishes and feelings are heard and reflected in care planning and decision-making. • Work collaboratively with adoption teams, Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs), education services, CAMHS, and other partners. • Support the stability of fostering placements and help manage complex care arrangements. • Maintain accurate case records and documentation in line with regulatory and organisational standards. • Contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and fostering service events when required. Skills/Experience: • Qualified Social Worker with current registration with Social Work England. • Significant experience within children’s social care, particularly within fostering or kinship care services. • Strong understanding of fostering legislation, including Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards (NMS). • Experience supervising or supporting foster carers. • Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and statutory responsibilities relating to children in care. • Ability to work collaboratively with multi-agency partners and professionals. • Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and caseloads. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and record keeping. • Commitment to trauma-informed, child-centred, and therapeutic practice. Additional Information: • Bi-Weekly Payments. • Rate: £35.75 per hour (Umbrella). • Hours: 37 hours per week. • Contract Duration: Approximately 3 months (Sickness Cover). • Location: Shirehall, Shropshire Council. • Working Pattern: Hybrid – across Shropshire / home working / office-based work. • Interviews taking place this week – quick availability required. • Candidates must include their notice period on the CV. • Children’s DfE cover sheet is required for submission.