At a Glance
- Tasks: Support foster families and children, ensuring their well-being and development.
- Company: Skylark Fostering, a passionate agency transforming lives of vulnerable children.
- Benefits: 25 days leave, professional training, pension contributions, and discounts with popular brands.
- Other info: Join a diverse team committed to innovation and support for foster families.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while growing your social work skills.
- Qualifications: Experience as a Supervising Social Worker and Social Work England registration required.
The predicted salary is between 33000 - 39000 £ per year.
Fostering Social Worker Salary: £33,000 to £39,000 per annum.
Location: Lincoln Office Hybrid - with regular travel to support foster carers in Lincolnshire.
Contract/Hours: Permanent - Full Time - 37 hours per week.
Benefits: 25 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, professional qualifications, excellent training and development opportunities, employer contribution pension, discount portal with your favourite brands and Blue Light card eligibility.
Who is Skylark Fostering? Tim Clayton and Trish Kelly bring nearly 60 years of social work experience to Skylark Fostering, supported by a robust professional partnership and deep expertise. Their mutual trust and effective collaboration will be the foundation of Skylark's leadership. Driven by a passion for transforming the lives of vulnerable children, they will strive to guide Skylark with wisdom and compassion. Their extensive experience covers child protection, foster care management, innovative practice implementation, recruitment, foster carer assessment, and quality assurance. They have strategically enhanced foster care services through thoughtful service improvements and innovations.
Why Skylark Fostering? Our sincere ambition is to establish the most innovative, ambitious, and genuinely supportive fostering agency in the UK. We will achieve this by actively listening to our foster carers and fostered children and through this partnership, develop services and supports that align with their priorities, and to be an agency that truly works for them. Our goal is for all fostered children and young people to feel a sense of belonging, safety, and to be on a path toward a happy and fulfilling life.
Whilst your role will be primarily to support foster children and foster families, you'll be able to learn about all the aspects (and challenges!) that come with establishing an outstanding Independent Fostering Agency. You will support around 8-10 foster families, with an agency target of 8 foster families maximum, enabling you to have that precious commodity time to provide the best possible support.
So, if you believe you are an outstanding Fostering Social Worker and feel this is the challenge for you, please get in touch.
- Contributing to the recruitment and selection of new foster families to the Agency.
- Providing professional supervision and developmental support, including advice and guidance to fostering families and working with other professionals where appropriate.
- Supporting fostering families to look after children and young people who have experienced trauma.
- Undertake fostering reviews, providing high quality, analytical reports and presenting to Panel where appropriate.
- Ensure all regulatory body requirements are met.
Do you already have experience as a Supervising Social Worker?
- Social Work England Registered.
- The ability to prioritise and manage your work to deadlines complying with regulatory requirements.
- Ability and willingness to contribute new ideas about how we achieve best practice and best outcomes.
- Have a genuine enjoyment about working directly with children and young people, both individually and in groups.
- Strong ethos of keeping the child at the centre.
- Be able to use IT effectively including participating in virtual meetings and webinars.
- Access to a suitable means of transport to undertake the duties of the role, as travelling across the area is essential.
Diversity, equality and inclusion: Skylark Fostering is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As we continue to grow, we know that we must have the most talented employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support our children and young people.
Social Work Team Manager - Children and Young People's Services in Lincoln employer: Skylark fostering
Skylark Fostering is an exceptional employer dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable children and young people. With a strong emphasis on professional development, employees benefit from extensive training opportunities, a supportive work culture, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Located in Lincoln, the agency offers a hybrid working model that allows for meaningful engagement with foster families while ensuring a healthy work-life balance.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Social Work Team Manager - Children and Young People's Services in Lincoln
✨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 Skylark fostering.
✨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 Skylark fostering!
✨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 Skylark fostering, 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 Skylark fostering 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 Social Work Team Manager - Children and Young People's Services in Lincoln
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 Skylark fostering:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Skylark fostering! 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 Skylark fostering
✨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.
