We are looking for someone to join our friendly and welcoming Recruitment and Assessing Team within the fostering service.
Your role will be to support the recruitment and assessment of prospective carers, as well supporting the transfer of registration for existing approved foster families. Being an assessing Social Worker within the fostering service is an important role which involves a range of tasks.
As an assessing social worker, you will be working directly with prospective Foster Carers, children andyoung people and also alongside other professionals to ensure quality outcomes for children/young people.
You will be involved in recruitment and participation events which are both public facing and at times virtual events, these can include foster carers and their children. You will hold responsibility for facilitating and delivering a 3 day preparation to foster course, as well as other training opportunities provided to both approved and prospective carers.
You may at times be required to undertake Connected Carers assessments and Private Fostering assessment.
Can you be that person that puts the children and young people in the forefront of your decisions, be able to work as a team, be flexible, being proactive, able to communicate with children and adults, as well as have experience of working with Children and Young People. Having experience of working in the fostering sector would be an advantage but not necessary.
You will need to be able to drive for this role and have access to a car, be flexible as you may need to work occasional evenings and weekends and be committed to therapeutic training. Flexible working arrangements and the successful candidate will be required to travel within the region working in partnership with social workers. You will be able to work both individually and as part of a team. This position is full time 37 hours and you will need to be flexible at times to cover evenings and weekends
Responsibilities will include:
1. Be involved in recruitment and participation events with foster carers and their children.
2. Undertake duty tasks and respond to enquiries
3. Visit to prospective foster carers in their own home and complete initial assessments of suitability to foster.
4. Complete Form F assessments
5. Attend foster panel and present assessments
6. Encourage and promote training events with carers
7. Organise support and consultation groups for looked after and birth children.
8. To report safeguarding concerns to line manager
9. Accurately record work
Applicants will have:
10. Experience of working with children and young people both in groups and one to one, preferably within independent, voluntary, or statutory provision
11. A Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England
12. Good understanding and knowledge of the circumstances and needs of children and young people in care, with a clear ambition to provide outstanding services for the children we look after is required.
13. You will have good organisational and time management skills, be confident and have the ability to build strong relationships with young people, key individuals, and organisations
14. Flexibility will be needed to cover out of hours appointments both in the evening and at weekends
15. Full and current driving licence, with access to transport. In return we offer: • Home, flexible based working allowing a good work life balance
16. Excellent CPD opportunities