Principal Social Worker – Fostering

Principal Social Worker – Fostering
Location: Long Eaton
Hours: 35 hours per week, Permanent
Salary: £45,000 – £47,000 per annum, dependent upon experience

Benefits

• £3,000 Car Allowance
• 30 days’ annual leave, increasing to 35 days with length of service + bank holidays
• Company Pension
• Life Assurance x2
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Medical Cash Plan

About Us

Fosterplus was founded in 1996, giving us 25 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 are always on hand with support, guidance and help.

Our expertise helps ensure more successful placements – and that is exactly the sort of continuity we want. This commitment is spelt out in our mission which is to ‘provide positive and stable family environments for the children and young people placed with our carers and ensure that, with the support of our carers, they can thrive emotionally and academically’.

Requirements

Fosterplus is currently seeking a qualified and experienced social worker with considerable experience of working with Children Looked After and foster parents. The successful applicant should have a good understanding of the relevant legislation, regulations and fostering standards. In addition, this unique role will promote a culture across the agency that recognises the impact of trauma, abuse and neglect on children and young people. As such, the successful candidate will also be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of trauma-informed approaches and the application within fostering services.

Supervisory or management experience within a social work setting, is desirable, to support and promote the effective functioning of the registration.

You will need strong leadership skills, a desire to make a difference and the ability to work autonomously, whilst working effectively as part of a team. Safeguarding knowledge is paramount and you will need to be able to demonstrate this throughout the role.

You will need excellent communication skills and the ability to build, maintain and develop positive working relationships with children/young people, foster parents and differing professionals to include colleagues internal and external to the agency. There is also a requirement that you are able to work occasional evenings and weekends, where required, to meet the needs of the agency.

• Hold a Social Care England recognised qualification in Social Work or equivalent
• Experience of working with children and young people, to include Children Looked After
• A comprehensive working knowledge of all relevant legislation that supports fostering and Children Looked After
• A full driving licence with unrestricted access to your own car

Responsibilities

• To support and deputise for the Registered Manager, as needed
• To supervise team members, as determined by the Registered Manager
• Support, supervise and promote foster parents to reach their full potential
• Monitor, promote and ensure compliance with foster parents and staff
• To work in partnership with children, young people, foster parents, applicants and other professionals, internal and external to the agency, to ensure safeguarding and positive outcomes for children are paramount
• The successful candidate will join a out-of-hours rota of a small team of managers who provide managerial support to SSWs, enabling them to support foster parents when the offices are closed

If you are seeking a role where your values, expertise and leadership can genuinely shape lives, this is an opportunity to be part of a committed and compassionate team that puts children and young people at the heart of everything we do.

Contact
For an informal and meaningful conversation about joining Fosterplus, please contact Jenny Huggins, Registered Manager, on 07739592057.

No agencies please.

The successful candidate will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check, the cost of which will be met by Fosterplus.

Fosterplus is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Fosterplus is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.