Referrals Officer in Cowbridge

This is an amazing opportunity to join Foster Care Associates. We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Full Time Referrals Officer to join our inspirational and friendly team to develop and promote the fostering services in Cymru South. Our office is based in Bridgend and we support the hybrid model of working with lots of flexibility to work from home.

Benefits of Joining Our Team

• Starting at 30 days' annual leave, increasing to 35 days with length of service + bank holidays
• Company Pension
• Life Assurance x2
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Medical Cash Plan
• Free Parking

We are committed to the wellbeing of our staff. The aim of our Staff Wellbeing Strategy is to increase all our employees' well-being, self-esteem, and sense of belonging to a team and create new environments for them to spend productive time together. This includes walk and talks at the beach or in parks, weekly wellbeing hour, park runs, mindfulness sessions, sea dipping, yoga sessions, raft racing and charity events to name a few. Our office environment is friendly and inviting with tea, coffee, breakfast and lunch items always available for our staff to contribute towards their wellbeing. All this combined with an exceptionally generous annual leave scheme ensures that there are sufficient opportunities for that essential downtime.

As part of the FCA Cymru team we welcome all members of our staffs' families to be involved in all our activities that we provide to our fostering families. These have included Alton Towers, West Midlands Safari Park, horse riding, skating trips and lots more to choose from. Within FCA we also take the opportunity for team-building days away when all staff have the opportunity to come together from across Cymru and strengthen our staff collaborations. Staff appreciation day is also celebrated yearly across FCA.

Robust induction, supportive management team, monthly reflective supervision with line manager and regular learning and reflective opportunities with a highly welcoming and close-knit team will ensure that you feel fully supported at all times.

What We Are Looking For

As a Referrals Officer, you will manage referrals received from local authorities and use key information and matching criteria to ensure that placements are carefully matched according to children's needs. You will be required to use your initiative and be able to work independently when required to find creative solutions to foster placement requests.

The Referrals Officer role is the first point of contact between local authorities, foster families and social workers. You will need to possess good communication skills and be able to develop positive relationships with colleagues within and outside of the agency, both via written and face-to-face communication. Previous experience of working in a children's services sector may be an advantage though not essential. Excellent organisational and administrative skills are key, together with a passion and motivation to make a difference to the lives of children and their families. We provide an excellent induction into the role and full training and support will be provided.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is friendly, has a big personality, good communication and administrative skills and is seeking a role within a team to make a difference to the lives of children and families. We pride ourselves on the supportive team ethos we have within Cymru as a whole and you would be dealing with families across the whole of the country with the opportunity to visit our office in Abergele to meet with colleagues on occasion should you wish.

For more information about this post please contact Fiona Hatton, Referrals Manager, on 07813 054956 / 01745 778610.

Foster Care Associates is an equal opportunities employer and has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer by the Jobcentre Plus. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check if successful for the position.