Advanced Practitioner - Fostering Assessment Team

Opus People Solutions; Coleshill CP; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is seeking an experienced Social Worker to join the Fostering Recruitment & Assessment Team. The role focuses on fostering assessments and supporting foster carer recruitment, based at Chelmunds Place, Solihull.

Hybrid working requires at least two office days weekly. The post requires a recognised Social Work qualification, registration with Social Work England, and ASYE with 3+ years as a statutory Children's Social Worker, plus fostering-form F experience

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker with a recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registered with Social Work England.
• ASYE completed with at least 3 years' permanent experience as a statutory Children's Social Worker.
• Fostering experience and Form F assessment experience essential.
• Strong assessment, report-writing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive Form F Assessments for prospective foster carers.
• Assess and support fostering applicants throughout recruitment and assessment.
• Prepare high-quality reports for fostering panels and decision‑making processes.
• Collaborate with colleagues and partner agencies to ensure positive outcomes for children and families.
• Maintain accurate case records and meet statutory requirements and deadlines.

Skills

Assessment skills

Report writing

Communication skills

Inter-agency collaboration

Education

Social Work degree

Registered with Social Work England

Job description

About the Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Social Worker to join the Fostering Recruitment & Assessment Team within Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. This is a rewarding role working within a specialist fostering service, undertaking fostering assessments and supporting the recruitment of foster carers.

Location: Chelmunds Place, Solihull, B37 7TW

Rate: £33.30 per hour (Umbrella rate)

Contract: Temporary - Initial 3 months, with strong potential for extension

Hours: 37 hours per week

Office Requirements: Hybrid - a minimum 2 office-based days per week

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive Form F Assessments for prospective foster carers.
• Assess and support fostering applicants throughout the recruitment and assessment process.
• Prepare high-quality reports for fostering panels and decision‑making processes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partner agencies to ensure positive outcomes for children and families.
• Maintain accurate case records and meet statutory requirements and deadlines.

About You

• Qualified Social Worker with a recognised Social Work qualification.
• Registered with Social Work England.
• ASYE completed with at least 3 years' permanent experience as a statutory Children's Social Worker.
• Previous fostering experience is essential.
• Significant experience completing Form F Assessments.
• Strong assessment, report‑writing, and communication skills.

If you are an experienced Advanced Practitioner with a strong background in fostering assessments and are looking for your next contract opportunity, we'd love to hear from you.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. A DBS check may be applicable for this role, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules. If successful, candidates will be required to provide information to support the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's commitment to the prevention and detection of fraud. This information will be processed by the Council's Internal Audit Services and may be shared with the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) for data matching.