Job description
Directorate: People’s Services
Service: Fostering
Location: Council House
Hours: 1 Full time post and 1 Part time post available
On Call Requirement: The candidate will need to take part in the out of hours Fostering Social Worker rota, proving support to foster carers and sourcing emergency foster placements outside office hours. The candidate will need to undertake this role for a week at a time, approximately 3 to 4 times
Closing Date: Monday 23rd February 2026
Contract Type: Permanent
Are you a confident, competent Social Worker with a sound appreciation of the needs of Children in care?
Are you committed to providing high quality support to our foster carers?
Are you child-focused and passionate about Strengths Based Practice?
Do you have the skills, experience and enthusiasm to join our exciting and progressive fostering service in Derby City?
Do you have experience and confidence in understanding and managing safe care for our vulnerable children?
If so, we would like you to join our team?
We are looking to recruit 1 full time Fostering Supervising Social Worker and 1 part time Fostering Supervising Social Worker within the Fostering Support Team.
Who We Are
Here at Derby City Council, we’re dedicated to delivering nearly 250 first-class services to citizens and businesses in the heart of the Midlands. People are at the centre of all that we do, and we have an outstanding track record of recruiting and developing talented individuals by providing them with varied and fulfilling career opportunities. Find out more about what it’s like to work for us.
What We Offer
You too could be part of something brilliant by becoming a colleague at Derby City Council; in addition to making a difference to the lives of people across the city, you’ll also receive:
• Flexible work/life balance scheme (depending on your role)
• Hybrid working (depending on your role)
• Modern office environment (depending on your job location)
• Continued professional development opportunities & career conversations
• 27 days annual leave (rising to 32 days after 5 years' service), plus bank holidays (depending on contract)
• Local Government Pension Scheme (depending on contract)
• Team Derby Rewards – retail and leisure discounts
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
• Cycle2Work Scheme & free cycle training
• Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Calendar and Support
• Access to our Equality Employee Networks – LGBTQ+, Disabled Employee Network & Carers and our Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Employee Support Network and Neurodiversity Network
• Support for colleagues who are carers
The Opportunity
In the role of Fostering Supervising Social Worker, here’s an example of what you’ll be doing to make an impact:
- Supervise and Support foster carers and supported lodgings hosts, enabling them to continue to meet the National Minimum Standards.
- Produce and present high quality, analytical annual review assessments of mainstream applicants or Supported Lodgings hosts, to evidence their ability to continue to care.
- Work alongside other professionals within the team around the child, contributing to the best outcomes for children in care and ensuring the voice of the child is heard.
- Contribute to placement sufficiency and working with carers and other professionals to ensure placement stability.
- Offer flexible support to our foster carers, including taking part in the Out of Hours rota.
- Help to run skills to foster and other training, support groups and activities which can take place at evenings and weekends, in order to provide the best support to our foster carers.
About You
To be successful in this role, you’ll ideally have…
- A confident, competent Social Worker, holding a valid Social Work Qualification and being registered as a Social Worker with Social Work England.
- Have a sound appreciation of the needs of Children in care?
- Committed to providing high quality support to our foster carers?
- Be able to adhere principals of electronic recording and demonstrate necessary IT skills.
- Be child-focused and passionate about Strengths Based Practice?
- Have the skills, experience and enthusiasm to join our exciting and progressive fostering service in Derby City?
- Have experience and confidence in understanding and managing safe care for our vulnerable children?
Next Steps
If you would like to apply for this vacancy via an