Member Job Opportunity: Barnardo's - Fostering Social Worker

  Location: Family Placement South East & London
Contract type: Permanent Hours:37
Salary: £28,631.00- £37,414.00
Closing Date: 19 September 2019
Interview Date: 26th September

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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