Social Worker - Fostering Services

We are currently recruiting for an experienced social worker in our newly formed Kinship Team An opportunity has risen for a qualified Social Worker to join our new Kinship Team within Children’s Services.

To help us recruit social workers who are committed to working in Middlesbrough we are currently offering a 15% supplement to social work salaries. This additional 15% will be reviewed at the end of March 2027.

The Kinship Team strives to support children remaining in their wider family network, by assessing and supporting Kinship Carers. This includes completing regulation 24 viability and connected persons assessments to allow for those children unable to remain living with their birth family to be placed immediately into their wider family or friends network.

This will also include conducting assessments for approval to the Fostering Panel or for Special Guardianship and supporting ongoing family arrangements. Middlesbrough Council recognise the positive impact placing children in Kinship Care can have on a child’s overall wellbeing and outcomes.

We are committed to developing our support package to our Kinship Carers; the Experienced Social Work role also involves contributing to Preparation Training for Kinship Carers, attendance at Support and Focus Groups, participating in our Kinship Events and making applications for therapeutic assessment and support through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund and reviewing ongoing family arrangement.

This is an exciting role in an expanding team that combines core statutory social work tasks alongside community social work. You will often work in line with statutory regulations and National Minimum Standards and ensure the requirements of the Care Standards Act 2000 and Children Act 2002 are met, therefore having knowledge of the National Minimum Standards and Regulations for Fostering is needed. Kinship Care has a great focus within the Children’s Social Care Reform, joining the Kinship Team will also allow you to become part of the Kinship Care Strategy recently published by the Government – Championing kinship care: national kinship care strategy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You will have significant experience of practicing statutory child-care social work in a multi-disciplinary way in addition to having knowledge of statutory and organisational contexts, corporate parenting responsibilities and Government policy contexts and drivers.

You will have experience of practising Social Work in a statutory setting and within statutory frameworks, applying legislation frameworks and statutory guidance. You will understand child protection and safeguarding procedures and practices along with an understanding of equality and diversity. You will have demonstrable skills in planning and delivering interventions with complex and challenging families, formulating plans and interventions targeted at affecting change, coupled with the ability to analyse and evaluate complex situations and risk.

In addition to this they will also have experience in responding to issues of separation and loss for children and young people and have worked intensively with families and children who are at risk of harm.

Your knowledge base will demonstrate a sound understanding of the fostering regulations, social work legislation, assessment and social work methodologies, including an awareness of systemic approaches. You will also have knowledge of child development across the age group and inhibitors to growth and development. You will work across agencies to achieve best outcomes for children and be part of an experienced, supportive team where there are great training opportunities to support your professional development.

The above post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.