Principal Social Worker Fostering

Hoop Social Work; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

PAYE or Umbrella payroll options

Twice-weekly payroll

DBS and compliance assistance

Job summary

Cardiff Council is seeking an experienced Principal Social Worker for the Fostering Service. The role is non‑case‑holding and focuses on strategic planning, practice development and performance improvement to support kinship and mainstream foster carers.

Work includes leading quality assurance, supervising staff, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The post offers a hybrid pattern (3 days in Cardiff, 2 days remote) and a competitive hourly rate.

Qualifications

• Recognised Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Care Wales or Social Work England.
• Experience within fostering services.
• Experience of quality assuring fostering assessments.
• Strong understanding of fostering regulations and the fostering panel.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Ability to contribute to service development and practice standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the quality assurance of fostering assessments completed by internal and external assessors.
• Contribute to strategic planning and ongoing development of the Fostering Service.
• Support and supervise staff within the service, providing guidance and promoting high standards of practice.
• Ensure practice complies with relevant fostering regulations and statutory requirements.
• Support the effective functioning of the fostering panel and maintain high‑quality assessment standards.
• Remain involved in day‑to‑day practice matters while contributing to wider service development.
• Develop tailored services for kinship and mainstream foster carers.
• Promote continuous improvement in practice, performance and service delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Quality Assurance

Staff Supervision

Fostering Regulations

Strategic Development

Education

Social Work qualification

Tools

Fostering Panel knowledge

Job description

Principal Social Worker – Fostering Service Cardiff Council

Location: Cardiff
Pay rate: £41.58 per hour
Contract: Initial 12 weeks

Hours: 37 hours per week
Working pattern: 3 days in the office, 2 days working remotely

Hoop Social Work is recruiting an experienced Principal Social Worker to join Cardiff Council's Fostering Service.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a developing and growing service in a non-case-holding role, where you'll have the opportunity to influence strategic planning, shape practice and support the continued development of fostering services.

Working closely with the Service Manager, you'll help drive high standards of practice and performance, ensuring the service delivers quality support to both kinship and mainstream foster carers.

The Role

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading on the quality assurance of fostering assessments completed by internal and external assessors.
• Contributing to the strategic planning and ongoing development of the Fostering Service.
• Supporting and supervising staff within the service, providing guidance and promoting high standards of practice.
• Ensuring practice complies with relevant fostering regulations and statutory requirements.
• Supporting the effective functioning of the fostering panel and maintaining high-quality assessment standards.
• Remaining involved in day-to-day practice matters while contributing to wider service development.
• Working closely with the Service Manager to develop tailored services for kinship and mainstream foster carers.
• Promoting continuous improvement in practice, performance and service delivery.

About You

To be successful in this role, you'll need:

• A recognised Social Work qualification and current registration with Social Care Wales or Social Work England.
• Relevant experience within fostering services.
• Experience of quality assuring fostering assessments, including those completed by internal and external assessors.
• A strong understanding of fostering regulations and the role and function of the fostering panel.
• Experience of supervising, supporting and guiding staff.
• The ability to contribute to service development and promote high standards of practice.

Why Apply?

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Social Worker with fostering expertise to take on a leadership role, influence practice and help shape the future of a growing service.

You’ll benefit from a competitive rate of £41.58 per hour, an initial 12-week contract and a hybrid working arrangement of three days in the Cardiff office and two days working remotely.

Why Register with Hoop Social Work?

At Hoop Social Work, we pride ourselves on providing a personal, supportive service throughout your recruitment journey.

• Over 20 years' experience in the social work recruitment market.
• A local specialist agency based in Cardiff, covering South Wales, West Wales and South West England.
• Access to exclusive roles and early notification of new opportunities.
• PAYE or Umbrella payroll options.
• Twice-weekly payroll.
• A dedicated consultant and ongoing support throughout your placement.
• DBS and compliance assistance to make the registration process as straightforward as possible.
• A £200 referral reward for every successful friend or colleague you refer.