Kinship Social Worker

Kinship Social Worker – Bolton Council

Bolton Council

Up to £37 per hour

Bolton Council is seeking an experienced and committed Kinship Social Worker to join our busy Kinship Team. This is a vital role focused on providing an effective and efficient social work service, ensuring the best outcomes for children placed with family and friends.

We require a candidate with significant post-qualifying experience in working with and supporting Kinship Carers and Special Guardians.

Key Responsibilities

• Assessment : Undertake robust and timely assessments of prospective Kinship Carers and Special Guardians to determine suitability.
• Review and Monitoring : Conduct annual reviews and other statutory reviews as required to evaluate and monitor the quality of care provided by Kinship carers to looked after children.
• Support and Supervision : Provide ongoing supervision and support to Kinship Carers and Special Guardians to ensure the care of looked after children is consistently of the highest quality.
• Training & Development : Identify and coordinate appropriate support, training, and preparation to further develop the skills and capacity of carers.
• Placement Advice : Advise and assist colleagues across the service regarding the appropriate placement of individual children with Kinship carers and substitute families.
• Meetings : Attend reviews, case conferences, strategy meetings, and network meetings as and when required, providing appropriate advice, information, and support for these forums.
• Information Service : Organise and maintain a high-quality Kinship fostering information and advisory service for both council colleagues and members of the public.

Working Environment & Benefits

Hybrid Working : We operate a flexible hybrid working arrangement, offering flexibility. However, candidates must be able to be office-based in Bolton or undertake visits to meet critical service needs.

Parking : Free on-site parking is available.

Statutory Experience : Opportunity to utilise and further develop advanced skills in a statutory, frontline setting.

What You Will Bring

• A recognised Social Work qualification (e.g., Degree in Social Work).
• Current registration with Social Work England.
• Substantial post-qualifying experience directly relevant to Kinship care, Special Guardianship, or Fostering.
• Expert knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, and practice relating to looked after children and permanence planning.
• Strong communication and analytical report writing skills.