Kinship Social Worker - Bolton Council
Bolton Council
Up to £37 per hour
Bolton Council is seeking an experienced and committed Kinship Social Worker to join our busy Kinship Team. This is a vital role focused on providing an effective and efficient social work service, ensuring the best outcomes for children placed with family and friends.
We require a candidate with significant post-qualifying experience in working with and supporting Kinship Carers and Special Guardians.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be responsible for a range of statutory and supportive functions, including:
* Assessment: Undertake robust and timely assessments of prospective Kinship Carers and Special Guardians to determine suitability.
* Review and Monitoring: Conduct annual reviews and other statutory reviews as required to evaluate and monitor the quality of care provided by Kinship carers to looked after children.
* Support and Supervision: Provide ongoing supervision and support to Kinship Carers and Special Guardians to ensure the care of looked after children is consistently of the highest quality.
* Training & Development: Identify and coordinate appropriate support, training, and preparation to further develop the skills and capacity of carers.
* Placement Advice: Advise and assist colleagues across the service regarding the appropriate placement of individual children with Kinship carers and substitute families.
* Meetings: Attend reviews, case conferences, strategy meetings, and network meetings as and when required, providing appropriate advice, information, and support for these forums.
* Information Service: Organise and maintain a high-quality Kinship fostering information and advisory service for both council colleagues and members of the public.
Working Environment & Benefits
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Hybrid Working: We operate a flexible hybrid working arrangement, offering flexibility. However, candidates must be able to be office-based in Bolton or undertake visits to meet critical service needs.
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Parking: Free on-site parking is available.
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Statutory Experience: Opportunity to utilise and further develop advanced skills in a statutory, frontline setting.
What You Will Bring
* A recognised Social Work qualification (e.g., Degree in Social Work).
* Current registration with Social Work England.
* Substantial post-qualifying experience directly relevant to Kinship care, Special Guardianship, or Fostering.
* Expert knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, and practice relating to looked after children and permanence planning.
* Strong communication and analytical report writing skills