At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a passionate team to support foster parents and transform children's lives.
- Company: Join Barnardo's, a leading charity dedicated to making a difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive salary, and generous annual leave.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the fostering community while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Must have relevant qualifications and at least 3 years of supervisory experience.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Location: Barnardo's Cymru Adoption & Fostering Service
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: 22.2
Salary: £36,427.87 - £(FT 42,244.38E) £21,856.72 - £25,346.40 (Pro rata)
Closing Date: 19 July 2026
Join Our Team as a Fostering Practice Manager within our dedicated Wales Fostering Team. Reporting directly to the Operations Manager, you will lead a team of skilled and passionate Supervising Social Workers, ensuring they deliver exceptional supervision, support, and training to foster parents and their families. Your leadership will help foster parents provide trauma-informed care that transforms the lives of children and young people.
In this pivotal role, you will:
- Lead and inspire your team to meet evolving service demands through high-quality supervision and adherence to fostering regulations in Wales.
- Support recruitment and retention of foster carers, contributing to strategic development and service improvement.
- Collaborate with external partners, including local authorities, health and education professionals, and child welfare organisations, to ensure holistic care for children and families.
We're looking for a driven individual with substantial supervisory experience in social care, ready to take the next step in their career. Whether you're an experienced Team Manager, Deputy Manager, or a seasoned leader seeking a fresh challenge, this role offers a platform to share your expertise and make a lasting impact. You'll be part of a supportive and knowledgeable team, with access to coaching, mentoring, and leadership development from the Operations Manager, Assistant Head of Business, and wider service colleagues.
What We're Looking For:
- A relevant professional qualification and current registration.
- Minimum 3 years post-qualification experience, with strong knowledge of fostering regulations in Wales.
- Experience in recruitment strategy development or collaboration with Recruitment/Marketing Officers.
- Confidence using social media platforms to promote fostering and enhance visibility across Wales.
- Proven ability to lead organisational change, manage performance, and drive service excellence.
- Strong communication skills, especially in complex or challenging situations.
Ready to Apply? Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band; this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role. Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata.
- The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme.
- A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity, Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options.
- Service related sick pay from day 1.
- Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's.
- Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution.
- Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension.
- Cycle2work scheme.
- Interest free season ticket loans.
- Discounts and cashback from high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal.
- 20% discount at Barnardo's stores.
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc.
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support.
- Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer.
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Fostering Practice Manager in London employer: BARNARDOS
Barnardo's is an exceptional employer, offering a collaborative work culture that prioritises flexibility and employee well-being. As a Strategic Finance Partner in Greater London, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children's services while benefiting from professional growth and development within a supportive environment dedicated to improving the lives of young people.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Fostering Practice Manager in London
✨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 BARNARDOS.
✨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 BARNARDOS!
✨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 BARNARDOS, 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 BARNARDOS 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 Fostering Practice Manager in London
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 BARNARDOS:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to BARNARDOS! 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 BARNARDOS
✨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.
