Team Manager - Fostering Home-Finders Team
Location: Durham County Council
Rate: £37.75 per hour
Service Area: Children's Services - Fostering and Placements
Job Purpose:
To manage and lead Durham's Fostering Home-Finders Team, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, responsive, and efficient service that recruits, assesses, and matches foster carers to meet the needs of children in care. The Team Manager will supervise a team of social workers and practitioners to ensure children are placed in safe, nurturing, and appropriate homes that support stability and long-term outcomes.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead and manage the Home-Finders Team responsible for foster carer recruitment, assessment, and matching of children to placements.
Oversee all fostering assessments, including Form F and Connected Persons assessments, ensuring they are completed to a high standard and within statutory timescales.
Support foster carer recruitment campaigns, enquiry screening, and initial visits.
Coordinate and quality assure placement matching decisions, working closely with the Placement Team and social workers for children in care.
Provide reflective supervision, professional guidance, and support to staff to promote safe, child-centered decision-making.
Ensure compliance with fostering regulations, Fostering National Minimum Standards, and local authority procedures.
Monitor and evaluate team performance, manage caseloads, and drive continuous service improvement.
Participate in fostering panels as required and ensure all reports meet panel requirements.
Work collaboratively with other teams in Children's Social Care (e.g., Looked After Children, Permanence, Adoption, Therapeutic Services).
Maintain accurate records and oversee the use of electronic case management systems (e.g., Liquidlogic).
Essential Requirements:
Recognised Social Work qualification (e.g., BA/MA Social Work, DipSW, CQSW)
Registered with Social Work England
Substantial experience in children's social care, including fostering or looked after children services
Proven experience in supervising staff or managing a team
Strong understanding of relevant legislation and statutory guidance (e.g., Fostering Services Regulations, Children Act 1989, Care Planning Regulations)
Knowledge of fostering assessments, recruitment strategies, and placement matching processes
Excellent communication, leadership, and organisational skills
Desirable:
Experience managing or working within a Home-Finders or Placement Team
Familiarity with Durham County Council's systems, policies, and local procedures
Experience using Liquidlogic or similar systems
What's on Offer:
Competitive hourly rate of £37.75
Supportive team culture and access to professional supervision
Flexible/hybrid working (as service needs allow)
Opportunity to lead a vital fostering function and make a difference in children's lives
Randstad Care acts as an employment business when supplying temporary staff and as an employment agency when introducing candidates for permanent employment with a client. Randstad Care is an equal opportunities employer and decisions are made on merits alone.
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