At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dedicated team to ensure high standards in fostering services.
- Company: Join Action for Children, a passionate team making a difference in children's lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy over 7 weeks paid leave, wellbeing days, and flexible family packages.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on vulnerable children's lives through strong leadership.
- Qualifications: Hold a recognised social work qualification and have significant experience in children's social care.
The predicted salary is between 52400 - 52400 £ per year.
Salary: £52,400 per annum - negotiable for an exceptional candidate
Location: Bristol
Contract/Hours: Perm/Full time – 37 hours per week
Benefits:
- Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave.
- Consideration of continued service leave balance.
- A paid annual Wellbeing Day to support a healthy balance between work and life.
- Excellent support and leadership opportunities.
- Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages.
- Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover.
- Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers.
- Honour local authority terms and conditions (continuous service).
At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, leading on embedding a therapeutic fostering offer to children and young people.
A bit about the role:
As a Registered Manager for fostering, you will oversee regulatory standards and the compliance, safeguarding and sustainability needs of fostering services within southwest England. You will lead a dedicated team, ensuring compliance to fostering standards and maintaining a strong team culture while being ambitious for children and young people. You will provide strong leadership and direction to a range of professional social work, health and business support staff and work in partnership with marketing and central AFC staff to maintain sustainable services.
About the service:
This is an exciting opportunity to take over services that embed the therapeutic HOMES model throughout its entire fostering approach. You will be part of the senior leadership team in England Fostering services and will be supported by highly equipped and experienced managers who see the importance of delivering on a culture of psychological safety. Action for Children Fostering Services in England southwest provide the highest standards of care to the most vulnerable children and young people by the provision of safe, secure, and successful foster homes. We provide foster families with excellent training, supervision, and support to achieve the best outcomes for the young people we look after. We provide high quality of care always ensuring children and young people are at the centre of our approach. We offer a therapeutic HOMES model and carers and staff have access to skilled psychologists with specialist knowledge of the needs of looked-after children.
What you do could make a difference:
- Provide strategic leadership to ensure strong practice and leadership is upheld.
- Provide and deliver on Action for Children values.
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of regulated services across southwest.
- Provide oversight and accountability to AFC Head of Service (Fostering) and Ofsted, the Regulatory Body.
- Lead and be accountable for safeguarding, recording and practice.
- Build strong relationships with carer families, local organisations and partner agencies.
- Be the external representative and attend local events, panels and forums to promote and strengthen the service.
Let's talk about you:
- Hold a recognised social work qualification (Degree, DipSW) and be registered with Social Work England.
- Significant experience across children’s social care, including fostering.
- Experienced in leading, motivating and supporting managers and social workers, challenging under‑performance and promoting best practice.
- Confident analysing data, inputs to budgets and applying commercial awareness within a social care context.
Why Action for Children?
Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us create change that really matters. And when we succeed, we’ll recognise what you did to make a difference.
We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here. Will you join us?
How to apply:
If you require any support to apply, please contact: Scott Jones via email at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 13972. For any questions or early enquiry, please contact Colette Ferns Head of Fostering via email at colette.fearns@actionforchildren.org.uk, or Adrienne Cronin, Foster Service Manager at adrienne.cronin@actionforchildren.org.uk.
Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism:
At Action for Children, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive. We know that racism and discrimination create barriers, and we are taking active steps to challenge these inequalities in our organisation and in the communities we serve. We strongly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian, or from other racialised and ethnically marginalised communities, as well as disabled people, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to removing barriers in our recruitment processes and ensuring fair access to opportunities. We also encourage applications from men, who are under-represented in our Children’s Services roles. We recognise that people hold multiple identities, and we value the richness this brings to our team.
Registered Manager - Fostering in Bristol employer: Action for Children
Action for Children is an exceptional employer that prioritises a supportive and inclusive work culture, offering flexible hours to accommodate personal commitments. Employees benefit from professional growth opportunities through collaboration with passionate colleagues and the chance to make a meaningful impact in the community. Working in this role not only allows you to lead exciting fundraising events but also to engage with dedicated supporters and volunteers, making every day rewarding.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Registered Manager - Fostering in Bristol
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Action for Children.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Action for Children!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Action for Children, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Action for Children or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Registered Manager - Fostering in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Action for Children:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Action for Children! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Action for Children
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
