Supervising Social Worker - Fostering Team (Children's)

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Supervising Social Worker to join our Fostering Team. The Fostering Team are responsible for the support and supervision of our North Somerset Foster Carers to meet the needs of our children in care.

In this role, you will play a central role in ensuring foster carers meet the National Minimum Standards. The Supervising Social Worker's role is to ensure that foster carers are supported to provide a high standard of care to our most vulnerable children. Being able to balance the need to challenge with the need to provide support is essential for this role.

Key Responsibilities:

• They will provide regular reflective supervision with their allocated foster carers and keep in regular contact with carers, social workers and the fostered children.
• Regular home visits (including 2x unannounced visits a year) to the foster parents' homes, along with regular communication with everyone involved in the child or young person's life.
• Support foster carers to attend meetings, help with their report writing and ensure that they keep appropriate records.
• Work with the child's foster carers and social worker to manage and, where appropriate, maintain contact between the children and their birth families.
• Identify training opportunities each foster carer may need. They will help foster carers to meet the national minimum standards, and help them to achieve their own, personal learning and development goals.
• Supervising social workers are required to write balanced annual foster carer reviews, present reviews at fostering panel with their carers and will contribute to writing standards of care/allegation reports when necessary.
• Undertake fostering duty tasks such as supporting to find homes to children who need to be cared for by the Local Authority.
• Be available in offering practical and emotional support to foster carers and colleagues to reduce placement breakdown.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

This position is currently based at the Town Hall office in Weston-super-Mare.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 1/2 days in the office (flexible due to this being a part time post)
• Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
• Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about fostering and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

• Has a Social Work Degree and is registered with Social Work England
• Work experience within a fostering team, service users and social care professionals
• Experience of writing balanced reports and in-depth foster carer reviews
• Confident in preparing and present reports to foster panel
• Excellent ICT, communication and organisational skills
• Experience and knowledge of the Fostering National Minimum Standards
• Knowledge and experience of using strengths-based approaches, restorative practice and knowledge of Mockingbird Model
• Ability to recognise when support is needed and respond proportionally to crisis

Desirable Criteria:

• Has worked in a Local Authority who adopts the Mockingbird Model
• Experience of working with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
• Experience of attending a foster panel
• Experience of writing a safeguarding report e.g. standards of care/allegation report
• Worked within a child protection/safeguarding team

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment.

We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet .

How to Apply

If you share our vision and values and are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact the Fostering Team Manager, Louisa Loveridge at louisa.loveridge@n-somerset.gov.uk or 07385373086.

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: Monday 27 January 2025. This will be in person at the Town Hall in Weston Super Mare. However, please get in touch if you would prefer an alternative date or need this to be on Microsoft Teams in order to attend online.

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.