About Us
We are delighted to be seeking a Business Administration Apprentice to join our team at Fosterplus.
Fosterplus was founded in, giving us almost years’ continuous experience as an independent fostering agency. Continuity is important to us, and we look to create it in everything we do – most critically, for the children and young people we look after.
Many who enter our care have experienced a disrupted childhood and our aim is to break this cycle and provide more stability. We do this by carefully matching the right foster parents to the right children, and making sure we’re always on hand with support, guidance and help.
Our expertise helps ensure more successful placements – and that’s exactly the sort of continuity we want. This commitment is spelled out in our mission, which is to “provide positive and stable family environments for the children and young people placed with our foster parents and ensure that, with the support of our foster parents, they can thrive emotionally and academically.”
To provide this continuity, we focus on connections.
We are looking for an Apprentice who will work within the Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards, maintaining databases and electronic filing systems, managing fostering paperwork and forms, as well as general ad-hoc administration.
It is essential that applicants have excellent written and verbal communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and a warm, confident personality.
Role Responsibilities
Role responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Provide a comprehensive day-to-day administrative service for the office team, including: Maintaining databases Producing professionally written emails and letters Processing incoming and outgoing post Photocopying Message taking and signposting Processing invoices
2. Support the social work team with data collection, recording, filing and auditing
3. Maintain accurate databases/registers of all families and children placed
4. Provide information from these databases to the Registered Manager as required
5. Be responsible for the smooth running of the office premises under the direction of the Manager
6. Build up and maintain a supportive relationship with foster parents, as the post holder will be one of the first points of contact within the office
7. Liaise with Local Authority Social Workers and other professionals
8. Distribute and collate paperwork and feedback forms
9. Review payment runs to ensure foster families are receiving the correct payments
10. Carry out statutory checks for approved foster families and their support network
11. Maintain office Health and Safety records
12. Monitor foster parent and staff training records, ensuring compliance
13. Receive visitors
14. Order stationery, receive orders and be responsible for the maintenance of office equipment
15. Take minutes of monthly team meetings and distribute to relevant personnel
16. Attend regular team meetings
17. Create content for the online information platform and the Registration’s Newsletter
18. Make constructive use of supervision and work closely with team members to enhance personal and team development
19. Represent and promote Fosterplus at every opportunity
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate must have the following skills and experience:
20. Basic administration skills
21. GCSE/equivalent in maths and English. A Level Functional Skills qualification can be completed alongside your qualification if not already obtained and if desired
22. Ability to manage own workload and work independently
23. Excellent customer service skills
24. An understanding of the use of IT and electronic communications, including Microsoft Office,, Excel and Outlook
25. Good organisational skills
26. Open to direction, using initiative to seek advice where necessary