At a Glance
- Tasks: Support foster carers and ensure child-centred social work practice.
- Company: Join a leading agency dedicated to children's welfare and fostering.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for mentoring and professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your social work skills.
- Qualifications: Recognised social work qualification and experience in children's social care.
The predicted salary is between 38000 - 45000 £ per year.
Supervising Social Worker
Salary: £38k - £45k Dependent on experience
Hours: 37.5hrs
Location: Hybrid/home-based with travel as required
Reports to: Registered Manager
To provide safe, effective and child-centred social work practice supporting foster carers and contributing to stable, well-matched placements. The post holder will work in line with the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, National Minimum Standards and policies.
- Provide regular supervision and support to allocated foster carers, including at least monthly supervision in line with company expectations.
- Ensure the child/young person's voice is heard and recorded; see the child as required and at least bi-monthly when in placement (or more frequently based on need/risk).
- Support safe matching, placement planning and stability.
- Respond to safeguarding concerns, allegations, complaints and significant events promptly, escalating to the Registered Manager/DSL in line with procedures and regulatory notification requirements.
- Undertake (or contribute to) fostering assessments (including Form F), produce clear analytical reports, and present to fostering panel as required.
- Contribute to foster carer reviews and ensure key documents are in place and kept up to date (e.g., safer caring plans, agreements, training/TSDS expectations).
- Support quality assurance and inspection readiness.
- Represent professionally with local authorities and partner agencies.
- Participate in duty/out-of-hours rota arrangements as required.
Safeguarding and professional standards
- Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people at all times.
- Work within the company's safeguarding, information governance and confidentiality requirements.
- Maintain professional boundaries and practice that is anti-discriminatory, trauma-informed and reflective.
Qualifications and Experience
- Recognised social work qualification and current Social Work England registration.
- Post-qualifying experience in children's social care and strong safeguarding practice.
- Strong communication, relationship-building and organisational skills (caseload management, prioritising, meeting deadlines).
- IT competence (Microsoft 365) and willingness to use/learn CHARMS and other systems.
- Desirable: Experience in fostering/independent fostering agency setting.
- Experience presenting to fostering panel or supporting ADM decision-making.
- Training delivery/mentoring experience and/or experience of supervising students/colleagues.
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.
Pre-employment checks
- Enhanced DBS (child workforce), satisfactory references, right to work and identity checks.
Children' Supervising Social Worker - Fostering in Durham employer: Randstad Care
Contact Detail:
Randstad Care Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Children' Supervising Social Worker - Fostering in Durham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the social work field, especially those involved in fostering. They might know about opportunities that aren't advertised yet or can give you a heads-up on what to expect in interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those tricky interview questions! Think about scenarios you've faced in your previous roles and how you handled them. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and show off your experience.
✨Tip Number 3
Show your passion for child welfare! During interviews, share your experiences and insights about fostering and safeguarding. Let them see your commitment to making a difference in children's lives – it’ll set you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our platform.
We think you need these skills to ace Children' Supervising Social Worker - Fostering in Durham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight your relevant experience in children's social care and fostering. We want to see how your skills align with the job description, so don’t hold back on showcasing your strengths!
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since strong communication is key for this role, use your written application to demonstrate your ability to convey information clearly and effectively. We love seeing examples of how you've built relationships or handled challenging situations.
Be Specific About Your Experience: When discussing your past roles, be specific about your responsibilities and achievements. We’re interested in your post-qualifying experience and how it relates to safeguarding practices, so give us the details that make you stand out!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Randstad Care
✨Know Your Regulations
Familiarise yourself with the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 and National Minimum Standards. Being able to discuss these regulations confidently will show that you understand the framework within which you'll be working.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past roles that highlight your experience in children's social care, particularly in fostering settings. Be ready to discuss how you've handled safeguarding concerns or contributed to fostering assessments.
✨Demonstrate Communication Skills
Since strong communication is key in this role, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. You might even want to role-play common scenarios with a friend to showcase your relationship-building skills during the interview.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company's approach to foster care and how they support their social workers. This not only shows your interest but also helps you gauge if the company aligns with your values and work style.