Location: Hybrid covering Stevenage and Essex Salary: £43,316 depending on experience Contract Type: Permanent Specific Hours: 37.5 Hours per week Closing Date: 26 April 2024 We have a fantastic opportunity to join our team and a growing fostering service in the Eastern Region where you will be able to contribute to achieving positive results for young people.
About Us Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home. We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. About the Role As a Supervising Social Worker, you will contribute to the growth and development of St Christopher’s fostering services by playing a key role in the recruitment, training and assessment of foster carers and by building positive relationships with referring authorities and other professionals. Further Details and application douments can be found here This month’s blog is a take-over by our Director of Operations on the Isle of Man Anne Seed. Anne also chairs the EDI focus group, made up of members of staff from across the charity and provides an overview of the work undertaken to date… At St Christopher`s we are aspiring to become an ever increasingly inclusive organisation where diversity in all its forms is recognised and celebrated, whilst discrimination and oppression is identified and tackled. Values drive behaviours, and behaviours drive culture. We are on a journey at the charity in relation to EDI and we are learning all the time. We want to ensure that equality is embedded in all of our activities and policies. We want to create a sense of belonging at St Christopher’s to attract and retain talented people. Crucially we want to hear everyone`s voice and respond to their needs. Our EDI strategy was approved by Trustees in November 2022 with a 3 year implementation plan and our EDI pledge was debuted to all staff members for sign up by Zero Discrimination Day on 1st March 2023. Our EDI Project Board has been established at a senior level in the organisation to lead on the strategy and our associated EDI Focus Group (made up of managers and staff members) takes responsibility for how the strategy can and will be implemented. The focus group and project board work alongside each other and there is a two way communication process. The EDI Focus Group meets every month for 2 hours (protected time) and advises the project board on aspects of the strategy. We are almost at the end of year 1 of the implementation plan and this year the group have been addressing communication and engagement in a variety of ways. They are committed to working with any staff members who identify with one or more of the protected characteristics within the Equality Act. The group have been instrumental in the production of a variety of great initiatives and actions. These include the pledge, a review of our paternity policy and implementation of a menopause policy. Similarly the group has shown commitment and sought out learning to support, working with transgender young people, celebrating black history month, the charity being accredited as a disability confident employer. We have also made inroads in creating support/network groups that are our people want, as well as feeding in to the charity’s inclusivity priority in the next 5 year strategic plan. Resources and information are shared on our intranet to enable any staff member to have access and utilise them. Our EDI focus group members also make themselves available for anyone wishing to share any issues, concerns or comments or to ask the group to have a discussion about a relevant EDI matter that is important. In year 2 starting in April, we will be continuing our work we have already started in year 1 as well as looking at the objectives in the implementation plan for year 2 around training and continuous learning. The group will be celebrating pride month and Black history month as well as raising awareness, with the assistance of our communications team, around other important EDI events happening throughout the year. We want to develop more focus on young people and how to involve them i.e. how we introduce EDI to children and young people when they move into a home or service, the language we use, the literature they are given. With this, we will be tackling the issue of how to support managers and staff members when young people make discriminatory remarks/comments and help make them more aware of the impact they are having and educate their views. We are encouraged by the organisation’s commitment to EDI and will continue to strive towards an inclusive and welcoming place to work, as well as a nurturing and supporting environment for the children and young people in our care. Source: www.stchris.org.uk/ Location: Fostering Eastern Region Salary: £45,986 depending on experience Contract Type: Permanent Specific Hours: 37.5 Hours per week Closing Date: 22 March 2024 We have a fantastic opportunity to join our team and a growing fostering service in our Eastern Region where you will be able to contribute to achieving positive results for young people.
About Us Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home. We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. Key aspects of the Role:
Further details and application documents here Location: West Bromwich Salary: £40,842 Contract Type: Fixed Term Specific Hours: 37.5 hours per week Closing Date: 22 March 2024 Salary up to £40,842 depending on experience
About Us Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home. We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. About the Role The role is responsible for the successful recruitment of new St. Christopher’s foster carers, proactively building excellent relationships with potential fostering applicants & guiding them through the assessment & approval process. The role will proactively lead on the recruitment strategy for a given region but the postholder may have to work across other regions as required by workflows. The postholder will deliver an increased number of fostering households through a targeted approach, enabling the recruitment and assessment of foster carers who can meet the needs of St. Christopher’s looked after children. Further details and application documents here Location: Fostering Eastern Region Salary: £45,986 depending on experience Contract Type: Permanent Specific Hours: 37.5 Hours per week Closing Date: 12 March 2024 We have a fantastic opportunity to join our team and a growing fostering service in our Eastern Region where you will be able to contribute to achieving positive results for young people.
About Us Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home. We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. Key aspects of the Role:
Applicants should have:
In return we offer:
Recruitment Process At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements. Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting. Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. For the full Job Description and Person Specification click here For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact recruitment@stchris.org.uk Closing date: 12th March 2024 We advise to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and this opportunity might be filled before the stated closing date. Full details and application documents here Location: West Bromwich Salary: Up to £40,842 depending on experience Contract Type: Permanent Specific Hours: 37.5 hours per week Closing Date: 03 March 2024 We have a fantastic opportunity to join our team and a growing fostering service in West Bromwich where you will be able to contribute to achieving positive results for young people. About Us Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home. We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. Watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s About the Role
As a Supervising Social Worker, you will contribute to the growth and development of St Christopher’s fostering services by playing a key role in the recruitment, training and assessment of foster carers and by building positive relationships with referring authorities and other professionals. Applicants should have:
In return we offer:
Recruitment Process At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements. Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting. Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. For the full Job Description and Person Specification click here. For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact recruitment@stchris.org.uk. We advise to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. St Christopher’s Fellowship has a minimum age requirement of 21 for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and semi-independent Homes. Full details and application documents here People want to work at St Christopher’s in order to make a difference to young people’s lives. But we also invest in our staff so they can learn new skills, progress in their job and represent the best of their profession. Find out more as Ben our Aftercare Manager tells his story. Why did you want to work at St Christopher’s? I joined St Christopher’s over 10 years ago. Before this I worked for a Payroll Company. I struggled for motivation here as I never saw it as an Industry that I wanted to be in. I decided to start looking for roles where I felt I was helping people. With a past of coaching young people in football, cricket, kayaking and wheelchair basketball I felt that St Christopher’s would be a good fit with my personal values. What do you enjoy about your job? Seeing young people succeed. I have been lucky enough to work with some incredible Young People over the years and now working in Aftercare seeing them thrive living independently shows all the work everyone has done during their time in care. What other development opportunities have you had? I did the Leadership Passport a few years ago and completed my Level 5 whilst as Team Leader of the Aftercare Team. What is next in your career? To continue to learn in my new role as Aftercare Manager and to build relationships with Landlords and other professionals involved in the lives of Care Leavers. What would you say to someone interested/ looking to join the profession? I would say that if you want a job that makes you feel like you make a difference to people’s lives then this is the job for you. It can be hard at times but the good times massively outweigh the bad. Find out more about our current opportunities here. Source: www.stchris.org.uk/ Location: Home Working Salary: £21,255 per annum rising to £21,495 Contract Type: Fixed Term Specific Hours: 37.5 Hours per week Closing Date: 12 March 2024 Salary: £21,255 per annum rising to £21,495 upon completion of probationary period and mandatory training. Location: Hybrid Working covering West Midlands and Stevenage Duration: 2 years fixed term contract About Us Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future. St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home. We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong. We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities. Watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s St Christopher’s Academy
At St Christopher`s we can provide more than just a care job. We can offer you a career where you can develop your skills and knowledge while making a difference to young people’s lives. When you join St Christopher’s, we will set you up in your career with a tailored development plan. Whether you want to move across to a different service, become a Manager or just explore further your current role, we will support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please click here We are proud that 84% of all our Team Leaders, Deputies and Managers are internal promotions. About the Role As Administrator, you will provide closely administrative support and assistance to the Fostering Team and to establish and maintain effective links and professional relationships with colleagues including Supervising Social Workers, Support Workers, Foster Carers, Panel Members and other agency services. Responsibilities will include:
Applicants should have:
In return we offer:
Recruitment Process At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements. Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting. Your online application must include a supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. For the full Job Description and Person Specification click here For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact recruitment@stchris.org.uk We advise to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and this opportunity might be filled before the stated closing date. Full details and application documents here The free programme, created by Quaker Social Action, St Christopher’s Fellowship and the Money and Pensions Service, will start to bridge the gap and give young people in care the same opportunities as everyone else. Participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide the informal money learning that typically happens successfully in a family setting. These include tips, conversation starters and key things to know by milestone ages for young people. Offering such bite-sized guidance for relevant everyday life and responsibilities, the co-produced programme resources signpost information to enable young people to ultimately grow in confidence and have positive conversations with the adults that care for them, thereby reducing anxiety around knowledge of financial matters. All resources have been developed with young people’s input in conjunction with those responsible for their welfare. The training that leverages them will be rolled out to key authorities across London and sector professionals supporting children and young people. But beyond this initial activation, the collaborators are keen to share the resources further afield with any parties who feel it could add value for the work and support they offer to young people in their care. Carrie Comfort – Manager of the ‘Made of Money Project’ at Quaker Social Action states… “Young people told us it was important to be optimistic about their futures, as well as preparing them for challenges. These resources encompass a range of topics to equip them.” Similarly… Jonathan Whalley CEO at St Christopher’s Fellowship believes “By collaborating with our partners, we have helped produce savvy guidance on important financial life skills that will empower our staff and foster parents and therefore ultimately the young people entrusted to their care.” Lisa Davis, Senior Policy Manager for Children and Young People at Money and Pensions Service, said: “Our experiences in childhood prepare us for adulthood and learning about money is a very important example. “Managing your finances will become a daily part life and the decisions we make can be complex, so being taught early on can make all the difference. “This vital partnership is another step towards giving young people in care the same opportunity.” For access to free downloadable guidance linked to the programme and to express interest in future training opportunities please see www.quakersocialaction.org.uk/training/money-springboard Source: www.stchris.org.uk/news/ As we stand at the start of 2024, I wanted to share some reflections and unveil our St Christopher’s Fellowship roadmap that will not only navigate us through tough times in the sector, but secure our future success is supporting children and young people. We are no strangers to challenges. They come, they test us, and with resilience and innovation, we emerge stronger than ever. We have already been doing this for 153 years and this year is no exception. We find ourselves at a pivotal moment, which provides a clear focus and an opportunity to redefine our onward journey. I am delighted to introduce our new five-year strategy. It’s not just a plan; it’s a promise to steer our ship through stormy seas and set a course towards growth. This strategy is about evolving and emerging with newfound strength and unwavering determination. So, what’s in the recipe for success? Firstly, it’s about recognising our strengths and building upon them. We have an organisation made up of exceptional teams who bring their A-game every day. Together, we can be an unstoppable force, and we must harness that collective power. Secondly, our expertise. We must leverage what we know, embracing continuous learning, and stay ahead of the curve in our ever-evolving industry. This is particularly relevant for our innovative and exciting practice across the London Accommodation Pathfinder (LAP), Fostering, Supported Accommodation and Edge of Care work – areas in which we anticipate we will continue to grow and develop. And pushing the boundaries of best practices. We don’t just want to be good; we want to help define what good looks like – to encourage our sector colleagues to raise their game. We will soon be able to share our strategic plan in more detail. You will see a well-thought-out and diligently created road map that remains child-centred, values driven and builds on our organisational strengths. It is a plan based on input from our own staff and the young people that we serve. Their voices have been baked into our onward approach. We face the future head-on, with optimism, innovation, and a steadfast spirit. St Christopher’s Fellowship is not just an organisation; we create brighter futures for young people in care and have the capacity to bring about truly positive change. Here’s to a year of challenges conquered and a focussed approach to building the foundations of future success. Jonathan Source: www.stchris.org.uk/news/ |
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