At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop and manage a high-quality Placements Service for children in care.
- Company: Join a dedicated team focused on improving lives for children and families.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for career advancement and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while building valuable relationships.
- Qualifications: Experience in social work or placements, strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
3 days on site Responsible to: Team Managers Access to
Resources: Key relationships/Functional links with: Referring teams: Maintain key relationships with Social Workers, Personal Advisors, Team and Service Managers, Carers from a range of providers and colleagues from Virtual School and Clinical Team.
Main Purpose of Job
To develop and provide a flexible and high quality Placements Service with the purpose of: improving placement choice and stability for children in care; improving the experience of social workers, foster carers and children in identifying suitable placements; delivering the best possible value to the Council in terms of cost and quality of placements.
To provide bespoke packages of practical support to foster carers, young people and families in the community to maximise placement viability and stability, prevent placement breakdown and retain foster carers.
Also to identify matches between children and suitable foster carers who can meet their emotional, educational, cultural and health needs, and who can provide stability and a sense of belonging.
To work collaboratively to provide a service which is both relationship‑based and which responds in a timely manner within required timeframe.
Responsibilities
- Work proactively within the Placements Team to ensure all children are placed in suitable placements, monitoring referral patterns and use of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs), and ensure that senior managers are alerted to any risks or threats in relation to sufficiency.
- Help develop and manage systems that track all referrals, placements, placement moves and endings, and ensure that high quality management information is available to assist in the planning and review of the service.
- Deliver a responsive and efficient service alongside the
- Fostering
Service: ensure that all parties involved in the referral and placement process are kept fully informed when placements are made, and that children’s views are taken into account.
- Undertake the sourcing and negotiation of suitable placements, and to contribute information about the market for health to maintain the quality of services.
- Keep accurate records and reporting on placement and financial activities by updating individual case notes on Mosaic.
- Negotiate on placement costs/support packages to ensure cost effective placements.
Also ensuring placements are agreed and placement contracts (IPAs) are completed in a timely manner as well as Mosaic finances.
- Help put systems in place to ensure foster carers and providers are paid promptly and that any additional or special payments are processed in a fair and transparent way, in keeping with the operating principles of the Fostering Payment Policy.
- Track and maintain an overview of all children waiting for placements and monitor progress on identifying suitable carers.
Alert senior managers to any corporate threat or risks relating to the council’s sufficiency strategy.
- Ensure that information systems are fit for purpose and that high quality management information can be produced for a range of indicators.
Use management information to inform planning and reviewing the sufficiency strategy.
- Ensure the best use is made of Southwark’s fostering resources, keeping use of external placements to a minimum and promoting the use of Friends and Family Placements as far as possible.
- Keep abreast of local and national changes to best practice when securing placement’s options for children and young people including legislative changes and Ofsted guidance.
- Provide placement briefings to the Team Manager and to senior management when requested.
- Provide professional guidance, support and developmental opportunities with less experienced or knowledgeable social work colleagues, including taking the role of practice educator with social work students.
- Maintain case records and management information on appropriate systems, ensuring that case files are organised and up to date.
- Work with a degree of independence without the need for close supervision, whilst recognising when and how to seek advice from a range of sources.
Use supervision to identify strategies to build professional resilience and balance the potential for bias in decision‑making.
- Contribute experience and expertise to group and individual supervision processes, to support evidence‑informed judgements in complex cases.
Provide supervision to other staff where required by particular service needs.
Financial Responsibility
The post holder will authorise payments in relation to new placements in line with scheme of delegation and will apply the Fostering Allowances policy in a fair and transparent way, aiming to avoid unnecessary expenditure through careful planning and monitoring of placement demand.
In addition the post holder will monitor spend particularly of externally commissioned provision.
Updates and concerns will be reported to Managers.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Unqualified Senior Broker LBS-011 in London
✨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 Southwark Council.
✨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 Southwark Council!
✨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 Southwark Council, 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 Southwark Council 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 Unqualified Senior Broker LBS-011 in London
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 Southwark Council:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Southwark Council! 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 Southwark Council
✨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.
