Fostering Team Manager: Lead Relationships & Stability

Central Bedfordshire Council; Caulcott; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Systemic Practice Training

Practice Educator qualifications

MSc in Child & Family Social Work

Job summary

Central Bedfordshire Council is seeking a Fostering Team Manager to lead the Mainstream Supervision Team within the Fostering Service. This role focuses on high-quality supervision, support and development for foster carers to provide safe, stable homes for children and young people.

You will lead a team of Supervising Social Workers and Life Story Practitioners, ensuring placement stability and positive outcomes, while developing strong multi-agency partnerships.

Qualifications

• Experienced in leading, supervising or supporting social work practice.
• Confident in providing clear professional oversight, while promoting learning, curiosity and reflective supervision.
• Skilled in working collaboratively across services and systems to promote joined-up, child-focused practice.
• Committed to achieving the very best outcomes for children, young people and their families.
• A registered social worker with a minimum of five years' post-qualifying experience working with children in care.

Responsibilities

• Provide effective leadership and direction to Supervising Social Workers, Life Story Practitioners and support staff; fostering a culture of reflective, strengths-based and relationship-centred practice.
• Ensure high-quality supervision, support and development for foster carers, maintaining oversight of annual reviews, support plans and professional learning opportunities to promote excellent standards of care.
• Promote placement stability, permanence and positive outcomes for children and young people through proactive support, timely intervention and effective multi-agency collaboration.
• Lead a child-centred and strengths-based service that prioritises the welfare, voice and lived experiences of children, ensuring practice is focused on achieving the best possible outcomes.
• Support and oversee the delivery of life story work and therapeutic interventions, enabling children to develop a positive understanding of their identity, history, relationships and sense of belonging.
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with foster carers, the Virtual School and wider stakeholders, recognising carers as valued partners and promoting educational engagement, stability and achievement for children in care.
• Ensure compliance with fostering legislation, regulations, National Minimum Standards and statutory guidance, maintaining high standards of practice and safeguarding across the service.
• Lead quality assurance, auditing and continuous service improvement activities, contributing to service development, sufficiency planning and the ongoing enhancement of Fostering and Corporate Parenting Services.

Skills

Leadership

Supervisory skills

Cross-agency collaboration

Child & family social work

Post-qualifying experience

Education

Registered Social Worker (Social Work qualification)

Job description

Central Bedfordshire Council is seeking a Fostering Team Manager to lead the Mainstream Supervision Team within the Fostering Service. This role focuses on high-quality supervision, support and development for foster carers to provide safe, stable homes for children and young people.

You will lead a team of Supervising Social Workers and Life Story Practitioners, ensuring placement stability and positive outcomes, while developing strong multi-agency partnerships.