Senior / Supervising Social Worker in Sheffield

Foster Care Associates (The FCA) is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Full Time Senior / Supervising Social Worker to join our inspirational and friendly team to develop and promote the fostering services in the Yorks & Lincs area. The team and regional office are based on the outskirts of Sheffield, and we support a hybrid model of working with some flexibility to work from home. There is an expectation that staff travel to the regional office in Sheffield on occasion and that Foster Parents and children are visited within their home.

About Us: Set up by a former foster parent and former social worker in 1994, Foster Care Associates (FCA) is an established fostering agency which forms part of the Polaris Community, one of the UK‘s largest children‘s services providers. Our purpose remains the same: ‘to make a positive and lasting difference for children, families and communities‘, underpinned by values designed to help us assist children and young people to reach their full potential.

Duties Will Include:

• Support Foster Parents and their families to achieve outstanding outcomes for all children and young people in foster care.
• Supervise, support and monitor the continued suitability and competence of Foster Parents, ensuring they provide a safe, healthy, nurturing and learning environment for children and young people.
• Ensure that Foster Parents fully understand the fostering task, competencies to be achieved and the standards expected, including complaints and representation procedures as detailed in the FCA policies and procedures.
• Provide and record regular supervision to allocated Foster Parents in line with FCA‘s Operational Standards.
• Work in partnership in a team parenting approach to help identify any needs within the foster family, e.g. respite, activities, therapy and holidays, with all members of the child‘s network, including contributing to all relevant meetings and any other tasks defined.
• Ensure each child and Foster Parent‘s records are fully compliant in respect of all key documentation.
• Attend meetings and/or provide reports for commissioning teams to address individual packages of care.
• Promote participation of children and young people in the development of the agency and in accessing resources and opportunities in their local community.
• Deliver training to Foster Parents.
• Participate in an out-of-hours support service on a rota basis.
• Undertake occasional initial home visits and Form F assessments.

You Must Have:

• A Social Work qualification.
• Professional registration with Social Work England or equivalent.
• Proven ability to produce a high standard of report writing.
• A comprehensive working knowledge of relevant legislation and child safeguarding procedures.
• The willingness and ability to travel extensively across the Yorkshire area.
• Confidence with transporting children and young people in sometimes stressful or difficult situations.
• A full driving licence.

If you would like an informal discussion about this role, please contact Nicole Higgins, Fostering Service Manager, on 07977 481562. We would love to hear from you and welcome you to our amazing, friendly team. To be considered, please apply and we will be in touch. No agencies please.

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