Participation Officer

Polaris, company; Woolwich; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange Grove Fostercare is seeking a Participation Officer to support looked-after children and their families in the Southern Counties. The role involves organising activities, fostering multi-agency collaboration and ensuring care plans reflect children’s views.

You will attend education, health and social services meetings and prepare assessments and reports, while maintaining records and staying compliant with safeguarding and GDPR policies.

Qualifications

• Significant professional childcare experience.
• Relevant qualification or formal training in childcare, childhood studies, education, social work, youth work, community work or psychology.
• Ability to build rapport with adults and children with varied needs.
• Able to remain calm under high pressure and in challenging situations.
• Intermediate IT skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and databases.
• Full UK driving licence required.
• Willing to undertake an enhanced DBS check (cost paid by Orange Grove Fostercare).

Responsibilities

• Arrange activities and workshops for looked-after and birth children.
• Plan family events and days out.
• Foster close relationships with colleagues, foster parents, external professionals and multi-agency networks.
• Attend meetings with professionals from education, health and social services to support care plans for children and young people.
• Complete assessments, reviews and reports; maintain clear records.
• Stay up-to-date with professional practice standards, legislation and company policy (confidentiality, GDPR, safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion).
• Provide support and guidance to families to promote stability of foster placements.

Skills

Childcare experience

Formal qualification

Rapport building

Calm under pressure

IT skills - MS Office

UK driving licence

DBS check readiness

Education

Childcare/related qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Databases

Job description

• Arrange activities and workshops for our looked-after and birth children
• Plan family events and days out
• Forge close and productive working relationships with colleagues, foster parents, external professionals and multi-agency networks
• Attend meetings with professionals from education, health and social services sectors to support our children and young people's care plans
• Complete assessments, reviews and reports, and maintain clear records
• Be aware of and take responsibility for staying up to date with professional practice standards, legislation and company policy, including confidentiality, GDPR, safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion
• Provide support and guidance to our families and help promote the stability of foster placements

• Have significant professional childcare experience, with priority given to candidates who have some fostering sector experience or can demonstrate significant fostering knowledge and interest
• Ideally possess a relevant qualification or evidence of formal training in childcare, childhood studies, education, social work, youth work, community work or psychology
• Can demonstrate previous experience of building rapport with adults and children with an array of different needs and expectations
• Able to remain calm when under high levels of pressure, in emotionally traumatic situations and when dealing with challenging behaviour
• Intermediate IT skills to include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint) and databases
• Have a full UK driving licence and unrestricted access to your own vehicle
• Be willing to undertake an enhanced DBS check, the cost of which will be met by Orange Grove Fostercare

Orange Grove was founded in 1996 by two social workers who understood that strong relationships held the key to successful fostering. As with all families, relationships matter. They provide a stable platform for growth, which is why we commit time, effort and resources to nurturing them constantly.

We do this for the children in our care by getting to know them and providing a safe and positive family environment. We do it for our foster parents by treating them individually and tailoring our support to their needs. We take care to build strong and positive relationships with local authorities and our other partners, so we can all work effectively together.

This has been at the heart of our philosophy ever since we were first established 30 years ago.

Orange Grove Southern Counties has an exciting opportunity for a Participation Officer to join our team on a fixed-term contract. You will play an important part in our continuing commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for our children and young people, ensuring that their views and experiences shape the services we provide., Orange Grove Fostercare is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates.

Orange Grove Fostercare is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.