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- Tasks: Join our Kinship Team to support and assess Connected/Kinship carers.
- Company: Dynamic fostering service focused on high-quality care for children.
- Benefits: Flexible working, generous leave, CPD opportunities, and employee discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your social work skills.
- Qualifications: Qualified Social Worker with experience in child-focused settings.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and impactful community engagement.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We are seeking an experienced and motivated Advanced Practitioner Social Worker (APSW) to join our Kinship Team within the Fostering Service. This is a key role responsible for ensuring high-quality assessment, supervision, and support to Connected/Kinship carers, working in line with statutory requirements, fostering regulations, and court-directed timescales.
As an APSW, you will hold responsibility for the completion of Connected Person (Kinship) assessments, including those directed by the courts, ensuring these are robust, analytical, and completed within required timescales. You will also undertake supervisory and support tasks for Regulation 24 (temporarily approved) carers and fully approved Connected Carers, ensuring practice aligns with fostering standards and safeguarding requirements. Your role will also include supporting Special Guardianship Order (SGO) arrangements, providing advice and oversight post-order, and conducting annual Support Plan Reviews to ensure children and carers continue to receive appropriate support.
In addition to direct work, you will make a significant contribution to quality assurance within the team, including undertaking case audits, supporting reflective practice, and ensuring learning is embedded across the service. You will bring a sound understanding of kinship care arrangements, family dynamics, and the unique complexities associated with caring for children within their wider family network. As an Advanced Practitioner, you will work closely with prospective carers, children and young people, and a range of multi-agency professionals to promote positive outcomes. You will offer guidance, advice, and supervision to other team members, modelling high-quality practice and maintaining consistent professional standards. You will also provide operational support to the management team when required, contributing to both strategic and day-to-day decision-making.
A key part of the APSW role will be to lead and deliver training to Connected Carers and applicants, including preparation training for new carers, mandatory/update courses, and targeted learning to strengthen trauma-informed, therapeutic, and kinship-specific parenting approaches.
Key Responsibilities (Summary)- Complete Connected Person/Kinship assessments, including court-directed assessments, within required timescales.
- Provide supervision, support, and oversight to Regulation 24 and fully approved Connected Carers.
- Support SGO arrangements post-order and complete annual Support Plan Reviews.
- Supporting Special Guardians application to Adoption Support Funding for therapeutic services where eligible.
- Lead on case audits, quality assurance, and continuous improvement within the team.
- Support and supervise staff, offering professional guidance and contributing to the development of consistent practice.
- Participate in operational and strategic decision-making as part of the extended leadership of the Kinship Team.
- Deliver training programmes to Connected Carers, including preparation and refresher courses.
- Promote high-quality, trauma-informed practice across all kinship assessments and interventions.
- Maintain effective multi-agency working relationships to support positive outcomes for children.
- Lead and participate in recruitment and participation events, both public-facing and virtual, involving foster carers and their children.
- Undertake duty tasks and respond to enquiries from prospective carers.
- Conduct home visits and complete initial assessments of suitability to foster.
- Complete Form K assessments and present them at foster panel.
- Complete Review of SGO support plans.
- Attend Legal Gateway and Permanence & Resource Panel.
- Facilitate and deliver the Training to professionals and Foster/Kinship Carers.
- Promote and encourage attendance at training events.
- Organise support and consultation groups for looked-after children and birth children.
- Undertake Connected Carers and Private Fostering assessments as required.
- Supervise and support team members, offering guidance and oversight to ensure consistent quality of work.
- Step in to support the management team in operational and strategic tasks when needed.
- Report safeguarding concerns to the line manager promptly.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of all work undertaken.
- Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
- Experience working with children and young people in both group and one-to-one settings.
- Strong understanding of the needs and circumstances of children and young people in care.
- Excellent communication, organisational, and time management skills.
- Ability to build strong relationships with children, carers, and professionals.
- Experience in the fostering sector is desirable but not essential.
- Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
- Commitment to therapeutic training and continuous professional development.
- Flexible, home-based working arrangements to support work-life balance.
- Excellent CPD opportunities.
- Generous annual leave entitlement.
- Access to an occupational pension scheme.
- A range of employee benefits including discounts on healthcare, public transport, and gym memberships.
Advanced Social Work Practitioner (Kinship Team) in Wakefield employer: Children's Social Work Matters
Contact Detail:
Children's Social Work Matters Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Advanced Social Work Practitioner (Kinship Team) in Wakefield
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the social work field, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the organisation and understanding their values. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their mission, especially in kinship care. Practise common interview questions and think of examples that showcase your skills and achievements.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your passion for social work! During interviews, share your motivations for wanting to work in the Kinship Team and how you can contribute to positive outcomes for children and families. Authenticity goes a long way in making a lasting impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, keep an eye on our career page for any new opportunities that pop up – we’re always looking for talented individuals like you!
We think you need these skills to ace Advanced Social Work Practitioner (Kinship Team) in Wakefield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight your experience and skills that align with the Advanced Practitioner Social Worker role. We want to see how your background fits with our Kinship Team's needs!
Showcase Your Experience: Don’t hold back on sharing your relevant experiences, especially those involving kinship care and working with children. We love seeing real-life examples of how you've made a difference in similar roles.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your writing is easy to read and gets straight to the heart of what you want to convey.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way to ensure your application reaches us quickly and efficiently!
How to prepare for a job interview at Children's Social Work Matters
✨Know Your Kinship Care Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of kinship care arrangements and the specific challenges they present. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with the needs of Connected/Kinship carers, as well as any relevant statutory requirements and fostering regulations.
✨Showcase Your Assessment Skills
Prepare to talk about your experience in completing assessments, especially those directed by the courts. Bring examples of how you've ensured assessments are robust and analytical, and be ready to discuss how you manage to meet tight deadlines while maintaining quality.
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Abilities
As an Advanced Practitioner, you'll need to show that you can lead and support others. Think of instances where you've provided guidance or training to colleagues, and be prepared to discuss how you promote high-quality practice within a team setting.
✨Engage with Multi-Agency Collaboration
Highlight your experience working with various professionals and agencies. Be ready to share examples of how you've built effective relationships to support positive outcomes for children, and discuss your approach to maintaining these partnerships.
