Fostering Team Leader

TN United Kingdom; London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative fostering service is searching for a dynamic Fostering Team Leader to enhance the quality of care for children. This role involves leading a dedicated team, managing assessments, and ensuring compliance with social care legislation. You will play a pivotal role in fostering events and partnership meetings, while also promoting the professional development of foster carers. With a supportive team environment and opportunities for career growth, this position is perfect for those passionate about making a difference in children's lives. Join us to help elevate our exceptional service further!

Benefits

10 Additional Days Off

Ongoing Professional Development

Small Team Sizes

Excellent Support from Service Leader

Travel Cost Reimbursement

Free Parking for Essential Car Users

Keyworker Housing after 6 Months

Qualifications

• Experience in managing a team within social work and fostering.
• Strong understanding of legislation governing Children’s Social Care.

Responsibilities

• Lead and improve the quality of the Fostering Service team.
• Oversee assessments and approvals of foster carers.
• Chair meetings and collaborate with stakeholders.

Skills

Social Work Qualification

Management Experience

Direct Social Work Practice

Knowledge of Legislation

Proficiency with SharePoint

Report Preparation

Education

Social Work Degree

Tools

Word Processing Software

Spreadsheets

ICT Systems

Job description

Social network you want to login/join with:

Royal Greenwich Fostering Service is a vibrant and exciting place to work. We are an innovative Fostering Service committed to providing the best possible care to children. We pride ourselves on the quality of our service and invite you to join us and help elevate our service further.

If you possess a unique blend of skills and experience, consider joining us in achieving this goal. We are currently seeking to recruit an inspirational and dynamic Fostering Team Leader.

The ideal candidate will have a social work qualification and management experience, preferably at a team leader level, with experience in direct social work practice within fostering. The successful candidate will lead and continually improve the quality and effectiveness of our Fostering Service team, undertaking responsibilities such as leading recruitment, assessment, supervision, support, review, and monitoring of foster carers. You will chair placement stability and disruption meetings, act as a panel advisor, lead partnership meetings with Greenwich Foster Care Association, and oversee fostering events.

You should have a good knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and guidance governing Children’s Social Care and Fostering Services.

The role includes:

• Providing regular, professional, and effective supervision to social workers and fostering professionals.
• Overseeing assessments of prospective foster carers.
• Approving Annual Reviews of Foster Carers.
• Financial monitoring and budget management.
• Ensuring children in Private Fostering Arrangements are safeguarded and their needs are met.
• Proficiency with SharePoint, word processing software, spreadsheets, and ICT systems.
• Ability to prepare thorough and timely reports.
• Supporting the innovative Mockingbird family model.
• Promoting the continuous professional development of foster carers.
• Willingness to work some evenings and occasional weekends.
• Collaborating as part of a leadership team to develop and ensure quality standards in our Fostering Service.
• Providing cover for the Kinship Team Leader when required.

In return, we offer professional supervision, good terms and conditions, career development opportunities, and a supportive team environment integrated within the wider Permanence Service alongside childcare teams.

Additional benefits include:

• Rota days equivalent to an additional 10 days off per year;
• Ongoing professional development, with a minimum of 50 hours of protected training annually;
• Small team sizes allowing direct contact and supervision of staff;
• Excellent support from a highly skilled Service Leader;
• Travel cost reimbursement worth over £1,000 and free parking for essential car users (worth over £800);
• Royal Greenwich Keyworker housing after six months of employment, subject to application and meeting criteria.

Our team currently operates on a hybrid model, with three days in the office. We are a family-friendly, inclusive employer committed to flexible working and are open to discussing other flexible arrangements.

If you have the skills, knowledge, confidence, and passion we seek, we would be pleased to receive your application.