Kinship Supervising Social Worker in Lincoln

We're looking for dedicated Supervising Social Workers with a passion for kinship care to join our fostering service across four regions of Essex: Mid Essex (Chelmsford), North Essex (Colchester), and South Essex (Basildon). We are looking for a committed and skilled Social Worker to strengthen the support and training offered to kinship foster carers in your Fostering Quadrant. You will be the lead to support your team and other stakeholders in their understanding of all kinship issues. You will play a key role in delivering trauma-informed, relational support and shaping high-quality training that reflects the realities of kinship care.

If you're passionate about supporting kinship foster families and helping children thrive, we'd love to hear from you. Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting the development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The role of Supervising Social Worker within Fostering:

• Support, monitor and develop local authority foster carers in accordance with the 2011 National Minimum Standards for Fostering and Fostering Service regulations to safeguard the wellbeing of Children in Care.
• Co-lead some training events for foster carers and undertake updated assessments of carers when change of circumstances occur.
• Support foster carers through regular home visits and telephone contact, including at least one unannounced visit every year.
• Monitor and review the care provided by foster carers to children placed in their care, ensuring that they provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment.
• Ensure that foster carer's annual household reviews are completed within timescales and follow Fostering Panel processes.
• Support foster carers through complaints procedures and child protection procedures.
• Participate in the matching process when children and young people are placed with foster carers.
• Ensure that foster carers receive all appropriate documentation regarding each child or young person placed.
• Work with foster carers to encourage and support contact for children and young people in accordance with their care plans.
• Assist the foster carer in ensuring that children and young people are heard in reviews, planning and in pursuing any complaints.
• Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.

Skills and Knowledge:

• A recognised social work qualification, degree or master's in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, with current registration with Social Work England as a registered social worker.
• Evidence of continuing professional development aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up to date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
• Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members and/or carers and other multi-agency professionals.
• Developing strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community.
• In-depth understanding of delivery of value for money interventions balanced against need.
• Proven track record of clear decision making in order to highlight and limit the potential risks associated with intervention.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond. A driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.