Children’s Social Worker, Fostering team, Reading Pay rate to £42 per hour Contract role, Fostering Practitioner We are recruiting for experienced Children’s Social Worker in the Reading area, who has extensive Fostering experience. Working in partnership with the IFA Registered Manager, Assistant Team Manager, and the Head of Service for Corporate Parenting (the Responsible Individual), you will hold accountability for the day-to-day operation of our IFA duty system and Out of Hours rota and for maintaining enquiry and placement data. You will also be responsible for responding to initial enquiries from members of the public who are interested in becoming foster carers and will provide professional supervision to a small number of IFA approved foster carers who are providing long-term placements for children or young people who have complex care needs and may present with challenging behaviours (a maximum of 5 foster carer households). You will work under the guidance of the Registered Manager but will normally be responsible for the supervision of specific staff, work allocation, resource and performance management, quality assurance, and the efficient and appropriate escalation of significant incidents. This is a leadership role which will require the post holder to demonstrate good leadership and the ability to positively influence the professional development of the team and staff group and the experience of children, young people, carers, and their families. The post holder will also need to work closely with the Team Managers and Assistant Team Managers in Brighter Futures for Children’s Together for Families, Children Looked After and Children & Young People with Disabilities Teams, Brighter Futures for Children’s Adoption & Permanence Service, data and finance managers and other placing authorities, in order to ensure the provision of timely and well-co-ordinated services.