Independent Service Advisor

Cheshire West and Chester; Ellesmere Port; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Cheshire West and Chester Council are looking for an Independent Fostering Service Adviser to provide professional advice to Fostering Panel and to Cheshire West and Chester staff, to ensure that decisions are evidence based and comply with legislation and national standards.

The Service Adviser supports the Fostering Panel to provide independent oversight of recruitment, assessment and review of foster carers and makes reasoned recommendations on their suitability to foster.

Qualifications

• Substantial knowledge and experience of fostering, professionally or personally.
• Experience of placement of children in foster families or away from birth family.
• Ability to provide professional advice and guidance to panel members.

Responsibilities

• Quality assure papers prepared for panel meetings and oversee report quality.
• Attend Fostering Panel as Agency Adviser and brief the Agency Decision-Maker.
• Contribute to training on fostering practice, policy, standards and regulations.

Skills

Fostering sector knowledge

Analytical thinking

Communication

Education

Social Work qualification

Tools

Microsoft Teams

Office 365

Job description

Cheshire West and Chester Council are looking for an Independent Fostering Service Adviser to provide professional advice, to Fostering Panel and to Cheshire West and Chester staff, to ensure that decisions are evidence based and comply with the requirements of legislation and national standards.

The Service Adviser supports the Fostering Panel to provide independent oversight of the recruitment, assessment and review of foster carers and makes reasoned recommendations on their suitability to foster.

Applicants should have substantial knowledge and experience of fostering, professionally, personally, or both, and of the placement of children in foster families or of children being cared for away from their birth family.

Key to the Service Adviser role is to quality assure papers prepared for panel meetings i.e. to maintain an overview of the quality of agency reports and assessments, including the child's permanence report, and foster carers report, and to liaise with Team Managers and identify issues requiring further training and skills development. To attend the Fostering Panels as Agency Adviser and brief the Agency Decision-Maker, following up practice and policy issues with Social Workers and Managers as required and to contribute to effective decision-making in child care planning, ensuring that children with a permanence plan are progressed through the process appropriately.

Good listening and communication skills are essential along with being well prepared, technology literate, able to provide focus and have the ability to make an assessment based on the written and oral information presented to the Panel in order to advise the Fostering Panel on key issues to enable them to make their recommendations.

You will have experience of the fostering sector, to provide professional advice and guidance to the Fostering Panels and to contribute to training on fostering practice, policy, standards and regulations to panel members, Social Workers and Managers throughout Children and Young People’s Services and those from other agencies involved in the fostering processes. We are specifically looking to recruit a social work professional with experience in advising meetings, who has a safeguarding background.

This is an exciting opportunity for the right individual to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people.

We welcome applications from people from a range of disciplines.

You will be accountable to the Head of Service for Children in Care and Care Leavers.

The role requires a commitment of up to twenty-four panels per year paid on an hourly rate, with an initial contract term of one year (reviewed after six months) and option to extend for a further two years. The post is subject to annual appraisal.

For more information about the role please contactLouise Mcalley on [e-mail]

Our Fostering Panel Meetings are convened in a hybrid manner, so some are held via Teams and some at our office in Ellesmere Port.