Supervising Social Worker in Leeds

Reporting To: Assistant/Regional Manager

Location: Hybrid/office 1-2 days per week (office: Morley Leeds)

Salary Range: Up to £40,000 DOE car allowance (£2100)

Additional: Dedicated Out of Hours team, professional development opportunities, supportive team, therapeutic support.

Role Purpose

The Supervising Social Worker builds positive relationships between By the Bridge, the foster parent and the child's social worker. It is a key role that helps the foster parent to sustain the child in placement and ensure outcomes for children are being met within the foster family. You will be supported by an Assistant or Regional Manager, the EAGAL team (which provides support with education, achievements, and opportunities for children and young people) and a Regional Therapist. By the Bridge is proud of its underpinning therapeutic approach and access to comprehensive therapeutic support through an extensive and highly qualified therapy team. Supervising Social Workers and foster parents also have access to therapeutic consultations, supporting their understanding of trauma and enhancing their ability to meet the needs of children and young people. Our award winning out-of-hours service provide additional 24/7 support to foster families outside of standard working hours. Therefore, there are no out of hours rota for Supervising Social Workers.

You will work closely with key internal and external stakeholders to enable foster parents to be informed, accept, understand and operate within the regulations and National Minimum Standards and in accordance with By the Bridge policies and guidance. Positive working relationships are crucial to successful outcomes for children and young people. The Supervising Social Worker’s role is a combination of monitoring and safeguarding on behalf of the children, as well as supervising and supporting foster parents in their role. The role is hybrid, meaning it’s a combination of community/home based work and 1-2 days per week office based. The caseload for this role covers the area of Yorkshire, this includes Barnsley, Rotherham, North Yorkshire and Doncaster. This may vary dependant on allocations.

About By the Bridge

By the Bridge with Cambian is an innovative, dynamic, independent fostering organisation providing high-quality therapeutic care and services to children and their foster families. We aim to create an environment where all people feel valued and can grow, develop and achieve their goals. We work to ensure that By the Bridge with Cambian is an organisation which thrives on the diversity of its staff, families and children, to ensure that we assist and care for those most vulnerable, and advocate with them, and on their behalf.

Role Responsibilities

• Supervise and support foster parents, promoting the safety, welfare, and rights of children in foster placements, and managing allocated cases.
• Ensure children's wishes and feelings are regularly sought, recorded, and acted upon in collaboration with foster parents.
• Ensure By the Bridge with Cambian meets the requirements of the Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards, particularly in relation to children's health, wellbeing, and social and emotional development.
• Work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary professional network, including attending meetings, completing reports, and contributing to assessments.
• Liaise with key stakeholders to ensure foster parents operate within delegated authority and appropriate medical consent arrangements.
• Provide effective guidance, advice, and support to enable foster parents to deliver consistent, high-quality care.
• Ensure child placements are matched using robust, evidence-based, and defensible decision-making.
• Support foster parents in promoting children's educational attainment, learning, and development, while actively championing equality and diversity.
• Complete high-quality assessments and written reports in a timely manner.
• Work in accordance with organisational policies, procedures, and compliance requirements, maintaining accurate and timely recording and reporting.
• Maintain professional registration with the relevant regulatory body and take responsibility for ongoing professional development.
• Attend the office 1-2 days per week to undertake or support duty responsibilities and attend team meetings.
• Prepare for and actively participate in regular supervision with your line manager.

Role Objective

• Ensure all children have an up-to-date safety plan (risk assessment) that is effective, proportionate, and relevant to foster parents' practice.
• Undertake unannounced home visits to foster parents in line with By the Bridge policies and procedures.
• Complete a minimum of one supervision visit per month and weekly telephone contact, or more frequently where required.
• Support foster parents to promote safe and appropriate family time and relationships in accordance with the child's care plan.
• Ensure each foster parent has a suitable Personal Professional Development Plan (PDP) and completes the TSDS workbook within the required timescales.
• Ensure all safety, medical, and home checks are appropriately assessed, monitored, and addressed as necessary.
• Facilitate group supervision meetings and forums for foster parents in line with By the Bridge policies and procedures.
• Contribute to recruitment and community engagement activities.
• Undertake initial visits and assessments of prospective foster parents, as required.
• Deliver and facilitate training, including Foundations to Foster training, as required.
• Work collaboratively as an effective team member, supporting the growth and development of the registration.

General Responsibilities

• To work in accordance with By the Bridge with Cambian policies and procedures.
• To contribute to the culture of By the Bridge with Cambian.
• To uphold and embody our values at all times, ensuring the protection of children is paramount.
• To adhere to responsibilities under data protection, health and safety legislation and policies.
• To demonstrate a positive commitment to equalities and diversity.
• To undertake and complete training expectations.
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected or commensurate with your role.

This job description is subject to change as the role evolves.