Barnardo's Fostering Families Service have a fantastic opportunity for a Supervising Social worker to join our busy team on a Part Time permanent basis.

Location: The successful candidate will on a hybrid contract, however travel will be required across the Midlands area. The Service has an office base in Halesowen and you will be required to attend some meetings from this office base.  It is strongly recommended that applicants for this post be in a commutable distance to Halesowen.

As a Supervising Social Worker, you will work within a team of supervising social workers, children's workers, therapists, managers, and admin staff responsible for the recruitment and support of foster carers who provide care to looked after children and young people who are referred to the service from the Local Authority.

Some of the key responsibilities are:

• Work alongside others in providing supervision, support and advice to carers being able to demonstrate initiative whilst also being part of a team
• Ensure that Children & Young Peoples welfare remains paramount and central in all aspects of the service.
• Ensure the voice of children/young people and carers are represented in the service through engaging in and where appropriate lead in the delivery of participation and consultation activities.
• Deliver relevant training to Barnardo's cohort of foster carers and adopters to the relevant standards on both a group and individual basis and provide feedback to enable training materials to be updated to remain relevant and effective.
• Be flexible to respond to the needs of young people, carers and colleagues.

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We offer hybrid working which includes a blend of home and office working with a minimum of one day per week in our office.

This role will involve some evening and weekend working. This would typically be between 5-8pm on an evening twice a week, and 3 hours on a weekend once a month. There may be occasions where it would be more hours on a weekend but this would be planned well in advance. Evening work and weekend work would mean this time would be taken back during the working week to allow flexibility for both the post holder and the agency.
 
As part of our continued growth as an agency and the on-going development of our services, we are expanding our Recruitment Team and would welcome applications from skilled professionals to support the agency in recruiting skilled and suitable foster carers by dealing with initial enquiries, liaising with potential foster carers, attending community based recruitment events, working closely with marketing colleagues, and engaging with current foster carers.

The successful applicant will have:

• Experience of a public facing engagement, recruitment or sales and marketing role
• Exceptional customer service and relationship management skills
• A confident and professional telephone manner
• Proven ability to communicate with a wide range of people and differing communities
• Excellent verbal communication skills and telephone manner
• Proven ability to write clear, concise reports and maintain written records
• Experience in the use of MS Office and database systems
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload and work to tight deadlines
• A can do attitude and a willingness to learn
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends when required.

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Location: Homebased – We are interested in applicants located in North Northamptonshire, Central Leicestershire, South Derbyshire or Peterborough,  as the postholder will be required to travel across these areas to conduct home visits to support carers and children. Travel is also required to attend staff meetings and team away days in Northamptonshire and other parts of the East Midlands.

As a Fostering Senior Supervising Social Worker with TACT East Midlands, you will be a part of our amazing team of professionals working with our organisational values at the heart of their everyday practice.  

This is an exciting opportunity to join the TACT East Midlands team as either a permanent or fixed term member of staff. The duration of the fixed term contract will be discussed/confirmed at interview.

Overall Duties of the Senior Supervising Social Worker will include:

• An appropriate social work qualification
• Up-to-date registration with Social Work England
• A minimum of 2 years post-qualifying experience in regulated fostering service
• Experience in supporting and supervising 10-12 foster families to meet the complex needs of the looked-after young people
• A proven track record in working with and on behalf of children, respecting and maintaining their individuality, and promoting their positive development.
• Experience in group work and/or delivery of training.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations including the Children’s Act and NMS Fostering Standards.
• Experience of working with/supporting looked after children and their foster carers.
• Ability to prioritise, plan and self-organise efficiently.
• Capable of using electronic records systems and IT effectively, including participating in virtual meetings and webinars

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Are you looking for a job working with children and with flexibility that could fit alongside you work and family commitments? 

If so, this job could be for you.  

We are looking to recruit individuals who have the desire to support looked after children and their foster families. 

As a Fostering Support Worker (Bank) you would work closely with the supervising social workers, local authorities and other professionals to support foster placements.  

You would have the ability to manage your availability.

The role will involve:

• Planning and implementing appropriate activities to meet the individual needs of looked after children
• Running support groups, both for looked after children and birth children
• Providing support sessions during the day, evenings or weekends
• Transporting young people to activities and appointments and supervising family contact sessions
• Appropriate training will be provided to assist in this role.
• Applicants should have
• Experience of working with children and young people in a paid or voluntary capacity
• Experience of administrative work including data entry and report writing
• Ability to work with challenging behaviour and resolve conflict
• Ability to maintain personal and professional boundaries
• Good communication and administrative skills and the ability to build and sustain sound professional relationships
• Recruitment Process

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Location: Fostering Eastern Region, Chelmsford
Salary: £11.95 per hour
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Contract Type: Zero Hours

Specific Hours: Variable hours (Zero hours Contract)

Closing Date: 23 March 2025

​Are you looking for a job working with children and with flexibility that could fit alongside you work and family commitments? 

If so, this job could be for you.  

We are looking to recruit individuals who have the desire to support looked after children and their foster families. 

As a Fostering Support Worker (Bank) you would work closely with the supervising social workers, local authorities and other professionals to support foster placements.  

You would have the ability to manage your availability.

The role will involve:

• Planning and implementing appropriate activities to meet the individual needs of looked after children
• Running support groups, both for looked after children and birth children
• Providing support sessions during the day, evenings or weekends
• Transporting young people to activities and appointments and supervising family contact sessions
• Appropriate training will be provided to assist in this role.
• Applicants should have
• Experience of working with children and young people in a paid or voluntary capacity
• Experience of administrative work including data entry and report writing
• Ability to work with challenging behaviour and resolve conflict
• Ability to maintain personal and professional boundaries
• Good communication and administrative skills and the ability to build and sustain sound professional relationships

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Following an inspection in January, our East London, Hertfordshire and Essex team have been awarded an overall ‘good’ rating by Ofsted.

In their report, inspectors noted how young people have developed close and meaningful relationships with their foster carers, and that their foster carers help them to feel a strong sense of belonging. One child told inspectors: “I like this home, [the foster carers are] nice and kind all the time – no matter what – they don’t give up on me, never!”

Click here to read the full article

Location: Central Support (Portsmouth)

Salary: The role is not remunerated but reasonable travel and other expenses will be paid.
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Contract Type: Part time

Specific Hours: Various - Minimum of 4 Board Meetings per year,
​and occasional site visits

​We are currently looking for a trustee to join us at Fair Ways, ideally with experience within the charitable, statutory or commercial sectors with a financial specialism. You will share our passion to improve the lives of children and young persons. As a Trustee you will be directly involved in influencing the strategic direction of the organisation; contributing to its dynamic and best practice governance and helping Fair Ways to make its vision a reality. 

As a Trustee of Fair Ways Community Benefit Society, you will individually and collectively be responsible for: 

• Actively contributing to the Board of Trustees and working with the Executive to set and oversee the delivery of  the Strategy that ensures we meet our charitable objectives
• Ensuring the organisation is maintaining effective systems of governance, policies and procedures for the operations of the charity and ensuring that the charity remains solvent, professionally run, and delivers its charitable outcomes both now and for the future.
• Ensuring compliance with charity law and all requirements of the overseeing body; carried out with the assistance of the Company Secretary
• Acting with integrity and avoiding any personal conflicts of interest or misuse of charity funds or assets and ensuring the charity avoids undertaking activities that might place the charity's funds, assets or reputation at undue risk.  
• Seeking professional advice on all matters where there may be material risk to the charity and where the trustees believe that guidance must be sought.
• Ensuring that Trustees interact with the Executive, outside agencies/professionals in a highly efficient, professional and supportive manner at all times

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2 posts available: full time 37 hours and part time 18.5 hours, per week.

 - Full time role: covering South Wales
 - Part time role: covering North Wales  

Do you want to make a real difference in children and young people's lives? If so, then we would like you to join our dedicated team of social workers and help empower children to thrive. We believe in quality over quantity, ensuring manageable caseloads so you can truly focus on the people you support. Regular supervision, peer support, and emotional wellbeing resources are all part of how we care for our team. We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join our small friendly team, who are well linked in with the wider Barnardo's organisation across the UK.

Fostering Service, covering Wales. We offer flexible working options, and a strong support network, and ongoing professional development to ensure you feel valued and supported in your career. 

The suitably applicant will be enthusiastic, creative and passionate about supporting children and young people who are cared for by their foster families. You will be able to work therapeutically with people who have experienced trauma and loss in their lives. You will work in a way that acknowledges and validates their experiences and work with hope that their future may be different. You will also have opportunities to design and deliver training to a team of committed foster parents and peers. You will have strong assessment skills in order to complete Form F's and annual reviews.

Ready to take the next step in your social work career? If the answer yes, then we very much look forward to you joining the team.

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​For Social Work Week we asked our foster carers what they think of our Supervising Social Workers.

After the first lightening quick response which described one as “the best thing since sliced bread” we were inundated with carers wanting to big up the people they described as their ‘ally’.

Click here to read some of the words they shared.

We are looking for a Social Worker to support the growth and development of our Registered Family Centre in Southampton. The Family Centre is made up of 5 self-contained flats each with their own bathroom and kitchen facilities and a separate bungalow which can accommodate an additional 2 families. Families will be referred to the Family Centre if there have been concerns identified around the safety of the children within their existing family unit. Once with us, the families will be continuously encouraged, assessed and guided through a 12 week stay where they are monitored 24/7 to encourage sustainable positive parenting changes. 

As a Social Worker with Fair Ways you will deliver the highest standards of care and support to our children, families and vulnerable adults through:

• Assessing and Observing - To take a lead role in parenting assessments through formal and informal observations of the residents with their child ensuring a high-quality service is delivered and maintained.
• Keeping Children, families and vulnerable adults Safe - Managing any presenting safeguarding issues in accordance with Fair Ways Policies and Procedures to keep children, families and vulnerable adults safe from harm for the duration of their assessment.
• Supervision and training - To line manage a small number of direct reports offering reflective supervisions, guidance and undertaking monitoring of any required training and development in line with our professional development and progression plans.
• Being a clear and confident communicator - To attend and contribute to multi-agency meetings, court hearings and other forums to represent the Residential Family Centre and support the Assessors.
• Building strong professional relationships - To proactively maintain safe supervision levels and respectful relationships with parents and children through effective support, guidance and care ensuring the maintenance of safe practice.
• Accurate and detailed report writing - To maintain full oversight of the assessment process for families for the full 12 weeks, writing the parenting assessment reports for courts. Maintaining effective, regular communication with outside agencies regarding parenting capacity.
• Being a Trauma Informed professional - To oversee and model trauma informed responses through the individualised use of therapeutic and (in some services) physical intervention to ensure families are supported appropriately during times of crisis and to demonstrate an understanding of the parents’ early life experiences.
• Supporting and developing new initiatives - To support the management team to develop the community-based assessment and outreach packages for family transitions into the community.
• Committing to your personal and professional development - To manage personal and continuous professional development through self-assessment, supervision and training.

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