Location: Lincolnshire Leaving Care Service – Lincoln Contract type: Permanent Hours: 37 Salary: £17,316.00 - £24,493.00 FTE Closing Date: 10 March 2021 Interview Date: 19/3/2021 Barnardo's work in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council to deliver its Leaving Care Service for young people aged 16-25.
We have been inspected by Ofsted and have achieved an ‘Outstanding' grade for the service we provide. Following a recent re-commissioning of the service we are looking to recruit a Project Worker to work across the region with our teams based in Lincoln, Louth, Peterborough and Sleaford. We also have some Care Leavers based out of County. Initial Specific Responsibilities To carry out pathway plans, statutory visits and risk assessments for Lincolnshire care leavers. Within Lincolnshire the Signs of Safety model is used across County as an assessment tool. Supplementary Information
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.
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 Circa: £22,700 pro rata + Inner London Weighting Location: London Department/Division: EDD03 Contract Type: Fixed Term Part-Time Hours: 22.2 (Mon, Tue, Wed) Closing Date: 10 February 2021 Giving children and young people the foundations they need to thrive.
The role Action for Children Fostering South East is one service, based on two sites. Our London office is in Camberwell. We also have a Kent service based in Ramsgate. We have foster carers in various and widespread areas of London and Kent. We are not a large service but we are long established, and have committed, skilled and experienced foster carers who are able to provide stable, nurturing family homes for children and young people who for various reasons aren't able to be cared for in their birth families. Our children, young people and carers are supported and by a very experienced and skilled staff team. One of the strengths that our foster carers often comment on is that our service has a ‘family' feel to it. We are looking for a Transitions Worker, based at our Camberwell service, who will be part of a ‘sector leading' therapeutic service providing one to one practical and emotional support to 15-25 year old young people to make the transition from foster care into independent living. You will coordinate and direct the support to young people by agreeing and providing interventions, enabling positive and agreed outcomes to be achieved, in accordance with organisational policies, procedures and regulatory requirements. We use Attachment theory and principles and our knowledge of the impact of trauma on early childhood development in our work to help children, young people and foster parents to make a meaningful emotional connection. This role is offered on a part time contact and will be working 22.2 hours a week over 3 days. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are the set days but we may occasionally require a degree of flexibility around these days depending on the service needs. Please be aware that there is a degree of travel included within this role. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For more information, please contact Lynsey Munro on Lynsey.Munro@actionforchildren.org.uk Interview dates are set for 1st March 2021. 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 Circa: £19,000 Location: Kent, Greater London Department/Division: England North Contract Type: Permanent Full Time Hours: 35, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Closing Date: 10 February 2021 Giving children and young people the foundations they need to thrive.
The role Action for Children Fostering South East is one service, based on two sites. Our London office is in Camberwell. We also have a Kent service based in Ramsgate. We have foster carers in various and widespread areas of London and Kent. We are not a large service but we are long established, and have committed, skilled and experienced foster carers who are able to provide stable, nurturing family homes for children and young people who for various reasons aren't able to be cared for in their birth families. Our children, young people and carers are supported and by a very experienced and skilled staff team. One of the strengths that our foster carers often comment on is that our service has a ‘family' feel to it. We are looking for a Referrals Officer, based in our Kent service, who will build strong relationships with Local Authority Commissioners and social work teams by being dependable, responsive and supportive. You will work in partnership to advocate for best practice when making placements and represent Action for Children's values in your delivery. You will support our social workers and carers by providing clear and concise information and support the delivery of safe processes to ensure placements are made in line with contractual specifications. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For more information, please contact Lynsey Munro on Lynsey.Munro@actionforchildren.org.uk Interview dates are scheduled for 26th February 2021. 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 Gloucester and Lancaster We are looking to recruit 1x social worker in Gloucester and 1x social worker in Lancaster to fulfil either a Supervising Social Worker role or a Senior Supervising Social Worker role, dependent on experience. A (Senior) Supervising Social Worker at Community Foster Care will be driven to promote the Child or Young Person’s Ambitions and Dreams. They will do this by recruiting, enabling and enhancing foster families to provide safe, stable, loving, nurturing family homes. Children and Young People seeking to live within these families will have often experienced significant trauma and abuse. Enabling Children and Young people to thrive in our foster families will therefore require a number of special ingredients, which you will need to develop and nurture. Salary Scales: Senior Supervising Social Worker: £31,871-£36,540 + £1095 (car allowance) pro rata + c.£2.4k Out of Hours payment based on 73 nights. Total package approximately - £35,366-£40,035 Supervising Social Worker: £28,318.50-£30,551.50 + £1095 (car allowance) pro rata + £2.4k Out of Hours payment based on 73 nights. Total packahe approximately - £32,013.50-£34,246.50 Full Time Please complete an application form and email it to emmaw@communityfostercare.co.uk Closing date: 5th February with interviews on the 9th February Full details and application documents here Today we are introducing you to a new staff member… but a strangely familiar face! Please join us in welcoming Patricia Moore as our Support Worker for our South-Central Region. Patricia has previously been a long-term Foster Carer with our South-Central team, before joining us as a Support Worker recently. We are so excited to welcome Patricia to The CFT staff team! Patricia is very passionate about Fostering, and she believes the knowledge and experience that she possesses as a former Foster Carer will bring new dimensions to her support worker role. Patricia has also been conducting workshops for new Foster Carers to help them prepare them for their new fostering role. We took some time to sit with Patricia (virtually) to get to know her better and find out how she feels about her new role, and her new insight into a different aspect of the organisation… Tell us something about yourself Patricia? “To start with, I will say I love what I am doing. I love children, and I am passionate about Fostering and helping children. I am originally from Argentina; however, I have been in England for 40 years, and for most of my life I have worked mainly in the education sector. As a person, I am passionate about helping people. When I lived in London, I worked in administration for different universities and usually dealt with day-to-day problems faced by students. I have also worked in a language school as an International welfare officer, supporting students from abroad requiring help with accommodation, medical, or sometimes visa-related issues. It was my job to assist them with any problems that they had, and my jobs have always involved helping. I have also done a lot of teaching abroad as well as in England, and I used to work in a college as a Spanish teacher. Even after all the different experiences I have had, I would say Fostering has taken me to a different level professionally. Apart from my work, in my free time, I love walking. I love nature and living near the beach gives me the fortune to enjoy both. I enjoy reading and I also have a keen interest in politics. Apparently, I am a good cook, so I love cooking and preparing meals. My legacy is cooking, and all my foster children love the food I prepare. It’s a real passion of mine”. You were initially a Foster Carer and now you are a Support Worker. How do you feel now that you have a different role within the Fostering world? “Well, I love Fostering. I absolutely love looking after children. Many people have asked me “What is the best thing about Fostering?” and without a doubt, I would say the children. Children are definitely the highlight of Fostering. After 6 years in Fostering, my husband and I decided to retire to spend our time with family. So, when I heard about this role, I thought this was a kind of natural progression, as it comes as second nature to me. I feel that I will be able to help more children in this role by supporting the Foster Carers and I feel this role means that I can still make a difference. I have always loved The CFT and am thrilled that I can continue to work with the organisation. I have lots of ideas of how to support Foster Carers and feel that my previous experience of a carer allows me to relate to any issues they are facing with more understanding. When a Foster Carer talks, I understand that he/she may be stressed or feeling overwhelmed, and I also know that it is temporary. Fostering can feel a little like a roller coaster at times, and carers just need the right support to help them through this, which CFT provide. I would have never made the change from being a Foster Carer to a Support Worker if I hadn’t believed in The CFT.” What attracted you to become a Foster Carer? “Now this is a bit of an interesting story. When I first moved into my current home, I was chatting with my next-door neighbour over the fence and she told me she was nervous. When I asked her why, she explained that she was a Foster Carer and that she was getting her first placement that day. Later that day, I saw a young 14-year-old boy arrive and long story short – I became really close to him. I loved talking with him and saw a real change in him, and this led me to think that maybe I could foster. It’s big commitment to bring a child into your home and I want to be sure that I had the necessary qualities to be a foster carer. I had teenage children at that point (20 & 17), and they wanted to be sure that it is not dangerous, so I did my research. It was very important to me that my family were supportive of our plans, and so we had many discussions before making the decision together as a family to foster. I had initially approached a few independent fostering agencies and found that they were not the right fit me for. Shortly afterward, my neighbour introduced me to The CFT and from within 5 minutes of the CFT Social Worker walking into my home, I thought yes, they are the agency for me”. Tell us something more about your Fostering experience? “I had a very successful placement for five years. He left our home two and a half years ago, but he still calls me nearly every day. He is part of my family, and he is very successful now. It’s great to see how he has transitioned into being an adult over the years, and it is very impressive. Fostering is so rewarding because of that, and I can say I am as close to him as any mother should be. When he arrived with us, he was so confused, upset, and angry, and now he has joined the Army, and he is doing well. It’s amazing to see how he has grown.” What inspired you to pursue the career you have today? What motivates you at work? “I believe in a better world and I also think that we can all do well in life. If we have the right conditions and believe that we can all help others, we can all live in a better society. I believe children are the future of any community and if you invest time in children, you will invest time in the future.” What do you like so far about the organisation? “The fact that The CFT is a non-profit charity organisation and always trying to improve the service. I also like the ‘family for life’ Ethos of the organisation, as this is what I exactly do with my foster children. I also like how much CFT cares for their staff, which I have noticed from day one. I enjoyed talking to different people in the company when I first started, and everyone was very friendly.” What skill do you think everyone should learn- as a Foster Carer and Social Worker? “I feel that being organised and empathetic is essential to both roles. It is also important to be reflective, because there may be occasions where you can look at a situation and think ‘I could have done this differently or better.” What do you hope to achieve during your first year with the organisation? “I want to establish myself in this role, as it is the first time the south central team have had a support worker. Currently, I am working remotely, which is an experience, but I like new challenges. I would like to get to know the children a little better, as I already know many of the foster carers. I am also getting to know some of the newer carers because I am doing a lot of training with them, so that’s good. I have become part of the team quite quickly, which previously I was worried about because they were the ones supervising me before, but after working with the team, my worry is long gone. I want to be able to help Supervising Social Workers as much as I can, and I am also open to trying different tasks within the role. We deal with people, so our role is quite evolving, and I am happy to grow according to the requirement of my office.” We would like to thank Patricia for taking the time to speak to us and for her work so far with the organisation. On behalf of all of The CFT, we would like to extend our warmest welcome and best wishes to Patricia! Source: https://thecft.org.uk The number of children in England urgently needing foster care from Barnardo’s has risen by more than half during the coronavirus pandemic, the UK’s leading children’s charity says as it appeals to potential carers to come forward. From April-December 2020, the number of children referred to Barnardo’s fostering services in England rose by 57% compared to the same period in 2019. During that time there were 13,030 referrals to Barnardo’s fostering services in England, a figure which shot up from 8,302 for the same period in 2019. Barnardo’s says children who may have experienced abuse and neglect are waiting for places with loving foster families. Without more potential foster carers coming forward, hundreds of children referred to Barnardo’s will not be placed with a family. The UK’s leading children’s charity believes the pandemic and lockdowns have increased pressure on vulnerable families, with job losses, deepening poverty and worsening mental health all leading to family breakdown. Children have also been in lockdown in homes where domestic abuse and sexual abuse are taking place. These pressures will likely impact more families as the pandemic continues. Barnardo’s is releasing these figures as part of their fostering week campaign, which runs from 25th January. The charity is calling on people over 21, who have a spare room and the time and commitment to support a child to get in touch and consider fostering a child. Barnardo’s welcomes foster carers from all walks of life, including single people, those from the LGBTQ+ community and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. The charity also wants to make it clear that foster carers will be supported every step of the way by Barnardo’s, and will also be eligible for financial support including carers’ allowance. To find out more about fostering with Barnardo’s, go to https://www.barnardos.org.uk/foster or call 0800 0277 280. Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “Vulnerable families have been hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many reaching crisis point. This means more children than ever need a safe and loving foster family to care for them. “Barnardo’s has over 100 years’ experience bringing vulnerable children together with loving foster families, who provide the vital love and support children need to thrive. If you become a foster carer with Barnardo’s we will support you every step of the way with training and a dedicated social worker. You’ll also receive financial support, including a carer’s allowance. “Today, there are hundreds of children who have been referred to Barnardo’s and are waiting to be placed with a foster family. We urgently need more potential foster carers to come forward. If you’re over 21, have a spare room and the time and commitment to support a child in need, please do consider getting in touch today.” Source: www.barnardos.org.uk Barnardo’s NI says children who may have experienced abuse and neglect are waiting for places with loving foster families and they need more potential foster carers to come forward. Gillian Cassidy lives in Bangor with her husband and their five children. As part of Barnardo’s NI fostering week, Gillian is sharing her very honest and compelling story of being a foster carer and how this has fitted in with her unique family life. “Well, I currently have five children. Three are birth children: two daughters and a son, we also have a son through planned adoption and our foster child, a little girl, who is the youngest in the family. “When people find out that I am a foster carer and adoptive parent they assume that I couldn’t have children of my own, because “if she can have her own, why would she need more?” I don’t need more. They need more. “My eldest was born with a genetic condition called 22q (also known as 22q Deletion Syndrome), which means she has a lot of medical and learning differences. My birth son also has a genetic muscle condition that means he fatigues easily and his speech, eating and hearing has been impacted. My other biological daughter was the one who never slept and the one you couldn’t take your eye off for a second! “My husband and I had always talked about adoption and knew it was something we both wanted to do. When our youngest biological child was three, we decided it was time to start the process and we planned to adopt another son. “When we adopted our second son, he struggled a lot. “He was only 18 months but he experienced real grief and loss having to leave behind his foster parents and coming to live with us in his new forever home. He was gorging on food and refused to let me touch him, he was hyper alert at all times, he wanted all doors to be kept closed and wanted everyone to have their shoes off and stored in the shoe box. As a baby he was removed from his birth home, where he experienced neglect and physical trauma as a baby. It took him a number of years to truly settle, to stop flinching when I kissed him goodnight. This taught us that the scars of trauma can take a long time to heal, if ever. “Three years later we started fostering our ‘Cherry Blossom’ baby, nick-named as such because she arrived in early spring, just as the beautiful cherry blossoms were in full bloom. She came to us straight from the hospital and she has a range of complex needs. Having another child in our family with these needs has certainly brought its challenges, but it has also enriched our family beyond what we thought possible. We have to remind ourselves everyday that this baby is ours to love big, but only for a little time. “For both our adoptive son and foster daughter we constantly tell them that their birth parents love and miss them very much, they just couldn’t care for them in the way they needed. It is important for our children to have this narrative and truth, and to understand why they came to join our family. “We believe that having our biological, adopted and foster children all living under one roof has enriched every one of our lives. When you are welcoming children into your home it is a huge advantage to already have children living there. The children can watch their peers and quickly learn that they get their needs met and that the adults in the house can be trusted. We are teaching each of our children that they deserve love and that they can learn from the community that is all the other children in our household. I hope this community long outlives myself and my husband. “For anyone that is thinking about fostering, it is totally worth it. These children need you and if you have space to love, please consider it.” If you would like to find out more about fostering, Barnardo’s NI is holding two online information sessions on Monday 25th Jan @10am and Thursday 28th Jan @7pm. To sign up for the sessions click here. You can also visit the Barnardo’s NI Fostering website - https://www.barnardos.org.uk/foster/northern-ireland or contact the team on 028 9065 2288 or professionalfostering@barnardos.org.uk Source: www.barnardos.org.uk Location: Fostering Chelmsford Contract Type: Permanent Closing Date: 21 February 2021 Salary: Salary £30,000 - £41,000 per annum depending on experience Specific Hours: 37.5 hours per week Due to current situation, this role will be home based. Any face to face work with carers or children only occurs in relation to safeguarding and under government guidance.
We have a fantastic opportunity to join our friendly team and a growing fostering service in Chelmsford where your skills will flourish, and you will be able to contribute to achieving positive results for young people. About Us St Christopher's is an established children’s charity that has provided care and support for vulnerable children and young people for 150 years. Our focus and commitment is all about our children and young people. We provide fostering, children's homes and a range of innovative housing and support services across London, Essex, West Midlands and the Isle of Man. We really care about children and young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We ask children and young people what they think and involve them in decision making, from helping to shape new services to interviewing new members of staff. Our social pedagogic approach is our core philosophy of care. Put simply this is a holistic approach for building positive relationships with children and young people to bring out their inner “diamond”. We are an equal opportunity employer and keen to develop an inclusive workforce were people feel they belong. We hope to attract application’s from under- represented groups including people from different cultures, nationalities, socio economic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religion, faith, sex, orientation, child care responsibilities and with gender diverse identities. About the Role As a Senior Practitioner, you will deputise for the Fostering Manager where required, and be responsible for supervising professional staff. You will develop high quality learning and development activities both for employees and foster carers. You will hold a reduced caseload. Applicants should have:
In return we offer:
This role is in a developing team which will provide you with an opportunity to develop positive links and relationships across the Easter Region and the organization. If you’re ready for the challenge and think you have the skills to drive St Christopher’s forward we would love to hear from you. 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 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. To be considered, your online application must include a full supporting statement addressing the criteria stated in the Person Specification. For the full Job Description for this role and more detail about what will be required, please click here. For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact recruitment@stchris.org.uk Closing Date: 21 Feb 2021 (Applications will be reviewed as received) Interview Date: 01 March 2021 Full details and application documents here As Panel Chair you will be required to chair panel meetings monthly (or as required); meetings will take place in either of CFC’s main offices located in Gloucester and Lancaster. Panel meetings are currently taking place via Zoom; during 2021 it is likely that CFC will adopt a ‘blended’ approach, and panels will include face to face as well as operating remotely. As a Panel Chair you will be expected to take responsibility to: Chair panel meetings (to include panel briefing), ensuring that all items of business are covered and that the panel operates in accordance with regulations and CFC’s policies and procedures Prepare for all panel meetings, reading papers thoroughly and identifying key issues and alerting the panel advisor if necessary, to ensure that the case is adequate for submission to panel. Facilitate the active participation of all panel members in contributing to the panel’s consideration of cases and to the making of clear and well evidenced recommendations with the reasons for these. To address diversity issues and to promote anti-discriminatory practice at all times Ensure that clear and accurate minutes are written, which record the views of all panel members and to be involved in the checking and agreeing draft minutes with other panel members before they are sent to the agency decision maker To liaise with the ADM and other senior managers as required Ensure that the ADM and registered manager are aware of any areas of concern, in relation to individual cases and more general matters Be involved in the recruitment and appointment of central list members and in any consideration about terminating the appointment of a member Review, alongside the panel advisor, the performance of central list members as the need arises, and at least annually. Assist in developing, promoting and monitoring policies and procedures and high standards of work in fostering services in the agency. Assist in planning training for members and to participate in this at least one day a year Safeguarding the confidentiality of all panel papers and panel discussions Be involved in:
Participation in Fostering Quality Assurance meetings (3 times a year), to support the agency monitor and review areas of practice across the fostering service, to include the panel’s performance. Financial Package: £35 per hour plus £75 reading for each panel For more information and to apply, please visit: www.communityfostercare.co.uk/panel-chair Member Job Opportunity - Team Fostering - Independent Vice Panel Chair (North East Region)21/1/2021
Base: Unit 6, Hedley Court, Orion Business Park, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE29 7ST Hours: Variable Monthly (depending on Panel Business) Responsible to: Assistant Director Pay: Vice Chair: £401.53 per panel plus expenses. Panel Member: £160.61 per panel plus expenses. Team Fostering is an ethical not for profit fostering agency with a strong reputation and proven track record for providing high quality foster homes for care experienced children. We pride ourselves on our values and we expect our staff to commit to and demonstrate these values in their everyday work.
An exciting opportunity has arisen within Team Fostering to appoint an Independent Vice Chair for the North East Fostering Panel. We would welcome applications from candidates with a background and knowledge in one of the following areas, education; health; the police force; probation; foster caring and care experience of young people. As an Independent Chair you will be responsible for contributing to the provision of a first-class fostering service for children through the effective chairing and participation in fostering Panel meetings. As a Panel Vice Chair, you will need to be able to attend a virtual Panel one day a month. As Panel Vice Chair your responsibilities will include:
A knowledge of fostering and the regulatory framework and standards surrounding it as well as evidence of a commitment to achieving positive outcomes for children are all essential qualities we are seeking for this post. As the Vice Chair you will also be required to contribute to the continuous development of the agency through working effectively with the Panel Adviser, the Agency Decision Maker and other Senior Managers. The Panel Vice Chair will receive £160.61 per panel. In the absence of the Panel Chair, the Vice Chair will be expected to deputise and will therefore receive £401.53 per panel. A formal induction programme is provided for the successful candidate as a requirement of this post. For an informal discussion please contact Rachael Johnson, Assistant Director on 0191 257 6806 or by email on rachael.johnson@teamfostering.co.uk For more information and to apply, please visit: www.teamfostering.co.uk/about-us/work-with-us/current-vacancies/independent-vice-panel-chair-north-east-region/ Closing Date: Wednesday 27 January 2021. |
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