A career that's life changing!

Who are we?
Action for Children does what's right, does what's needed and does what works for children across the UK. Every year, our team changes the lives of 370,000 children, young people and their families – but for every child who needs help to get help, there's plenty more to do and that is where you come in.

We are seeking a passionate and confident Children's Rights Officer to work in our busy service in Hackney providing advocacy and support to service users of all ages in the care system ensuring that their voices are heard.

You will be contracted to work Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm but this post does require an element of flexibility as it involves some out of hour visits.  

How will you make a difference?

• By assisting, guiding and teaching the Service Users their rights and how to develop their confidence and key life skills.
• By recruiting, leading and supporting volunteers to act as Independent Visitors to people in care.
• By recording and monitoring information on the central system.
• By building and maintaining excellent rapports with Service Users and other care professionals to promote Equality & Diversity.
• By managing individual case-loads and providing advocacy services to Service Users.
• By providing 1:1 support to service users to achieve positive outcomes.

 
What you will need?

• A Positive and Caring attitude is a MUST
• NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent with at least 1 years' experience working directly with vulnerable service users.
• Sound knowledge of Safeguarding and GDPR
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Be able to work under pressure and manage workload
• Recruitment experience would be an advantage but full training will be provided for the right candidate
• Be a passionate individual who is committed to Children's rights.

What are the benefits?

• As an appreciation towards our staff, we offer:
• An excellent company pension scheme
• Minimum of 29 days Annual Leave
• Season ticket travel loans
• Childcare vouchers
• Professional development with access to 100's of courses available from the first day
• Discounts at major high street retailer

 (And that's just to list a few)

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to vulnerable children's lives and to build a fulfilling and meaningful career with a leading UK children's charity. So don't delay, apply today!

If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact Ewelina Suchocka on 07776657442 or alternatively you can send your CV to Ewelina.suchocka@actionfrochildren.org.uk for immediate consideration.

Full details and application documents here

How We work: 
Action for children does what's right, does what's needed and does what works for children in the UK. Every year our organisation changes the lives of 390,000 children, young people and families.  

What we do:
Wigan MST service is a commissioned service by Wigan Council aimed at supporting families whose children are on the edge of care or entering custody.  

We work intensively with parents, for up to 6 months, in line with the MST treatment model. MST intervention usually takes place in the family home through regular therapist home visits, identifying problems causing misconduct of a child/young person and overcoming these challenges with the family so that they can make and sustain change.  

The service currently operates from Worsley Mesnes Methodist Church, Holt Street, off Poolstock Lane, Wigan. WN3 5HS. The roles require team members to work flexibly and across the whole borough.  

Wigan commissioning has indicated an ongoing commitment to delivering MST intervention for its families, hence these roles being advertised as permanent. However, secondment requests for fixed periods of time will be considered.  

The Role: 
The MST Supervisor is required to hold a recognised professional qualification, alongside extensive post qualifying and relevant experience, including management of teams.  

You will carry out suitability assessments for families and allocate cases amongst a team of 3 therapists. Overseeing pragmatic systemic work with families and cognitive behavioural interventions, you will embed the MST analytical process in all areas of your work. You will manage risks with your team and take responsibility for clinical outcomes which requires high levels of fidelity with the MST model and is highly scrutinised to ensure success. Interpersonal skills will be key, as you engage other professionals, team members and families. You will also work closely with the MST UK network and their expert to ensure quality and adherence to the model.  

Closing date Friday 13th September. Interviews being held week commencing 30th September. 

Other information 
You will require a high degree of flexibility in their role; early and late visits to families being frequent and regular on call responsibility.  

You will receive full training in MST as well as have ongoing development plans in place and access to ‘booster training' by an MST expert quarterly.  

For more information, visit www.MSTUK.org or contact Sarah Tootell, Childrens Services Manager on sarah.tootell@actionforchildren.org.uk or Tel; 0791 2395793 

We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users, therefore all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice.

Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.

Full details and application documents here

Additional Information for Fostering Social Worker
You will have received a Social Worker job description and person specification for a Family Placement Social Worker. This is a generic role in use throughout the organisation however you will be employed to work as a Fostering Social Worker in the South East and based in the Fostering Service in Southborough.

When completing your application form, please refer to the skills, knowledge and experience required as detailed in the Person Specification and also any further information included in the Additional Information Sheet.

Please note that an appropriate Social Work qualification and HCPC registration are essential for this role.

The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving license that enables them to drive in the UK and have use of a car and business use insurance.  Barnardo's is, however, willing to review any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by other means.

The post-holder may be required to work on some evenings and very occasional weekends to enhance the work of the service in meeting the needs of foster carers and their children. The post-holder will be required to travel to foster carers across the South East area. You will also be required to contribute to an out of hours helpline for foster carer carers in our service which includes an additional allowance.

History of Service
Barnardo's is the largest UK children's charity with over 100 years of experience with successfully placing children & young people with families. You will join our Family Placement team which has over 30 fostering and short break services across the UK.

Purpose of Service
Barnardo's South East Family Placement Team has been in operation for over 30 years and we recruit, train and assist a diverse range of families to provide fostering placements for children and young people of all ages, abilities, culture, including sibling groups, remand, parent and child placements and Staying Put arrangements.

Initial Specific Responsibilities
You will be joining a small and evolving team of social workers, manager and administration staff including a recruitment/placements officer and project worker.  Our aim is to expand our service to increase our pool of foster carers so we can provide quality placements to meet the needs of vulnerable children and young people.  We also wish to innovate in terms of the voice of the young person, participation events and more creative and diverse ways to prop our carers and the children and young people in placement.

You will be expected to carry out all aspects of the supervising social worker role in the fostering service from foster carer recruitment, preparation, assessment and approval through to linking, matching, placing children with their placements.  We would hope there will be other opportunities to help develop the service regarding recruitment of diverse carers offering specialist placements, training and therapeutic assistance for carers and young people, children and young person's groups, participation events etc., as mentioned above.

Supplementary Information
Barnardo's Fostering Team in the South East always look to develop and improve the services provided to foster carers and looked after children seeking a placement.

You will have experience of assessment and inter agency working and be a strong communicator and team worker with knowledge of the issues facing vulnerable children and young people. A sound knowledge of safeguarding  policies and procedures is a must too.

You will need to be able to work to clear timescales and have good communication skills.  You will keep accurate and up to date records on computer systems and write reports with full information and analysis.  All documents pertinent and in accordance with service policy and procedure and current regulations.

As we work with Local Authorities throughout the South East you will be expected to travel anywhere in this region and attend meetings possibly elsewhere in the country.

You will have the opportunity to work in a specialist area of social work in a skilled, motivated and reassuring team whilst receiving quality management and supervision.

You will be expected to attend relevant training which will be provided to aid your performance and development. You will participate in and contribute to team functioning promoting the aims and purpose of the service and to the development of the new areas of work. 

A required car user is essential for this post.

About Barnardo's
At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's.

Our basis and values

Full details and application documents here

The Local Government Association says severe funding shortages and huge demand pressures mean councils were forced to overspend on their children’s social care budgets by nearly £800 million last year in order to try and keep children safe.

Barnardo's says the Government must address the crisis in children's social care.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said:  

“We have long warned about a ‘perfect storm’ in children’s social care, with more youngsters needing help to cope with increasingly complex challenges, while councils are struggling to find the money they need to help the most vulnerable families.

"Today’s alarming analysis by the Local Government Association shows the lengths councils are having to go to in order to be able to provide the help families need.

“The Government must urgently address the funding challenges councils face, so all children can get help early in every community. 

“But it’s not simply a question of money. The system must change too. This is why we are taking a radical new approach to delivery - working with national and local partners to co-design and deliver services, investing our own resource, and focusing on how we can change children’s lives, and the system around them, for the better.”

Source: 
www.barnardos.org.uk

About us...
At Together Trust we believe everybody deserves an equal chance in life. There are no exceptions. We provide a wide range of support services including fostering, residential, community and family support. We also provide specialist educational support through our schools and colleges.

At Together Trust we’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the people we support. It’s a commitment we require from all of our staff and volunteers.

We follow a robust safer recruitment process and all successful applicants will go through recruitment checks. If you’re successful we’ll need you to have an enhanced DBS check. For all roles we’ll also need a minimum of three references. Depending on the role you apply for, we might also need to request references from each employer where you have worked with young people or vulnerable adults.

We’ll also need to know about any breaks in your employment history with evidence from documents like birth certificates or passports. If you’re successful and have worked outside the UK for any longer than three months in the last five years, we’d also need to complete a foreign DBS or code of conduct check.

We now have an opportunity for a senior support worker to join the team at our specialist short breaks service in Romiley, Stockport.

As our senior support worker you will...
As a qualified member of staff you will key work young people, work closely with the management team, supervise other residential staff and lead shifts.

Residential Support Workers will be actively involved working closely with families and other professionals around the children we support including education staff, healthcare professional, You will attend healthcare appointments, reviews for the young people and take part in team meetings. You will communicate effectively with parents and carers, be responsible for administration of medication, daily reporting and personal care within morning and evening routines. A number of the young people we support may need assistance with all aspects of personal care, such as bathing and toileting, getting dressed. Some others require encouragement and support to be able to become more independent.

Benefits

• Certified Training
• Company Pension
• Competitive Salary
• Death in Service
• Flexible Working
• Full Training Programme
• Generous Holiday
• Great Working Environment
• Progression Opportunities
• Recognised Qualifications

​About You...
You are caring, passionate, positive, professional and supportive – looking to make a real difference in children and young people’s lives. Experience in a similar role is crucial, and you must be looking for a challenging and rewarding role and a have a genuine interest in developing your skills through the training we offer.

You must have a QCF Level 3 in working with children and young people or equivalent to apply for this post (Residential Childcare level 3 /social work degree)

As the team provide 24/7 support, you will need to be flexible and willing to work shifts on a rota basis over a day 7 period, due to the nature of this role you may occasionally be required to take part in sleep over shifts, these are paid in addition to the 37.5 hours at a rate of £62.64 and are not included in the 37.5 hours advertised.

Candidates with a full, clean driving license are encouraged to apply. You must be over 21 years of age to apply for this role due to the age range of the young people in the service. (These roles are exempt from the Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006).

Full details and application documents here

We have an exciting opportunity in our Policy and Campaigns team. Do you have what it takes to develop policy research for the UK's largest children's charity that will transform the lives of the most vulnerable children and young people

Barnardo's Policy & Campaigns Team aims to improve the lives of children through influencing public policy and practice. We use evidence based policy research and analysis to campaign and lobby across Government and through the media. We are driven by a relentless determination to effect positive sustained change.

Bringing proven experience of research methods including direct engagement with vulnerable groups, you will play a pivotal role in informing policy initiatives from evidence based research.  You will need an understanding of the Westminster policy context on a range of issues impacting on the most vulnerable children, The ability to communicate your findings to a range of audiences is also important, together with strong report writing and team working skills. 

About Barnardo's
At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's.
​
Our basis and values

Full details and application documents here

Peninsula and Islands (Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay, Channel Islands)

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Children's Services leader to help shape and support our regional strategy. We are looking for an individual who is willing to get fully involved in supporting staff to deliver our current services and growth opportunities alongside playing an intrinsic part within the regional Senior Management Team to deliver an ambitious development programme to enable us to work with even more children and young people over the coming years. We are looking for someone with great interpersonal skills combined with excellent leadership and management capacity, with a passion to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children and young people - is this you?

You will be based and working in our Peninsula locality, where we are a key stakeholder and have a strong history.

At Barnardo's, our purpose is to transform the lives of the UK's most vulnerable children and our vision is to realise Thomas Barnardo's dream of a world where no child is turned away from the help that they need.  We believe in children - no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Our basis and values
Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.  Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore, we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. This post is subject to a range of pre-employment checks including a Criminal Records Enhanced Disclosure for the successful candidate.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Closing date: 23rd August 2019.

Barnardo's Registered Charity Nos 216250 and SC037605.

About Barnardo's
At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's.

Our basis and values

Full details and application documents here

The role
We are looking for a Fostering Social Worker to join our team working 37 hours a week. This will be mainly Monday to Friday during the day but there will be some flexibility required to meet the needs of the service.

We are a small, developing fostering service, located in Doncaster but covering the Yorkshire and Humber area.

You will be responsible for providing support to foster placements.  Fostering experience and knowledge of fostering regulations is essential for this position.  You will be part of a small team and will have had exposure to managing multi agency partnerships.  This position also requires a strong understanding of the therapeutic model including PACE.

Our team consists of social workers, and referral officers We also work in partnership with Chrysalis psychology services who support our therapeutic work with children and young people.

The team including foster carers are trained to a high standard; understanding attachment and trauma work along with specific interventions.

The difference
What is the role?
By providing professional supervision and developmental support, including advice and guidance to fostering families and colleagues from other agencies where appropriate, including being part of an Out of Hours Service (through participation in rota) providing support 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year.  

The successful applicant will be  part of an aspirational fostering team of Social Workers. You will be expected to uphold the core values and beliefs of the organisation, ensuring that children, young people and foster carers receive a high-quality service and that commissioners' expectations and contractual requirements are met. This will be instilled through effective day to day delivery of a high quality fostering service. 

What will you need?

• A Diploma in Social Work or equivalent
• Current HCPC registration
• Supervisory experience in a regulatory environment 
• Ability to keep the service regulatory safe
• Strong ethos of keeping the child at the centre
• Strong sense of ability to support therapeutic needs of children
• A stable career history and experience of fostering services
• Access to a vehicle due to being required to travel across Yorkshire and The Humber area is essential.

What are the rewards?

• Minimum 29 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• Flexible working, including maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Season ticket travel loans
• Company pension scheme, up to 7% employer match
• Ability to buy and sell holiday
• Discounts at major high street retailers. 
• Plus, there's a lot more besides.

How does Action for Children work?
Action for Children does what's right, does what's needed and does what works for children across the UK. Every year, our team changes the lives of 301,000 children, young people and their families – but for every child who needs help to get help, there's plenty more to do. That's where you come in.

If you really want to make a difference and be a part of an amazing team, don't hesitate, apply now!

For more information or a confidential chat, please call Paul Goodwin on 07590 417119.

We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users, therefore all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice.

Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.

Full details and application documents here

These Three Words, by Jess van der Hoach, has been praised recently in the fostering sector for the way it links together the feelings, emotions and behaviours associated with anxiety, with some of the therapeutic tools that can be used in order to enable better self-regulation, increased confidence and different ways of thinking.

Jenny*, a young person in care with Team Fostering, recently read the book and praised it highly. She has put together the below book review.

'Why I enjoyed These Three Words'

Written by Jenny*, aged 12

'The story is about a girl called Luna Ray with anxiety, which is unusual because you don’t find many books like it. Luna is a teenager who has been through a lot but doesn’t understand. My favourite character was Luna’s mother, but she thought Luna was just a ‘normal typical teenager’. During the story Luna starts to overcome her anxiety.

I think the writer wanted to tell this story because she wrote it for her daughter and I think she must have anxiety. The book made me feel like Luna, the main character, was discovering something new and different techniques, it made me feel inspired. It made me think about how anxiety works and it taught me a few good things.

It was a good story because it helps people with anxiety and teaches ways to reground yourself, because not all people can get counsellors.

I think it is important to say that the book helped me think about my anxiety. I would recommend this book because it’s helpful and it works to help people like Luna and I.'

Team Fostering is committed to working with children and young people to overcome any challenges they are facing, and it's great to hear of books like this that just remind children that they aren't alone in their challenges. 

We are an ethical, not-for-profit agency with a strong mission statement of 'Putting Children's Futures First.'

We continue to recruit foster carers who share our values, offering our carers comprehensive support, innovative training and competitive fees.

If you're interested in joining Team Fostering we would be delighted to hear from you, whether you have or haven't fostered before.

You can reach us in the following ways:

send an online enquiry by clicking here
email us via info@teamfostering.co.uk
call us on 0800 292 2003
 
*name amended

Source:
www.teamfostering.co.uk