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The Cambian Group; Stockport; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

By the Bridge with Cambian is seeking a Supervising Social Worker to lead supervision and support for foster parents, ensuring safe, nurturing placements for children. You will work with a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring compliance with Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards, while advocating for children's welfare and development.

You will conduct regular supervision with line managers, contribute to high-quality assessments and reports, and support foster families to maintain

Qualifications

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England.
• Strong knowledge of Ofsted regulations and safeguarding best practices.
• Proven experience working in fostering or therapeutic childcare settings.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support foster parents to promote safe, stable placements.
• Ensure children’s views are sought, recorded, and acted on.
• Meet regulatory requirements and By the Bridge policies.
• Prepare assessments and high-quality reports; attend meetings.
• Support development plans and track safety checks.
• Maintain professional registration and engage in supervision.

Skills

Safeguarding knowledge

Ofsted regulations knowledge

Fostering experience

Education

Social Worker registered with Social Work England

Job description

The Supervising Social Worker plays a key role in building strong relationships between By the Bridge, foster parents, and children’s social workers. This position supports foster parents to maintain stable placements and achieve positive outcomes for children.

You will work closely with internal and external partners to ensure foster parents understand and operate within all relevant regulations, national minimum standards, and By the Bridge policies and guidance.

The role combines monitoring and safeguarding responsibilities for children with the supervision and support of foster parents, helping to ensure safe, nurturing, and effective foster placements.

About By the Bridge

By the Bridge with Cambian is aninnovative anddynamicindependent fostering organisation providing high-quality foster care and support services to children and their foster families.

We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and has the opportunity to grow, develop, and achieve their goals. We celebrate diversity across our staff, families, and children, recognising that our strength lies in inclusion. Our focus is on supporting the most vulnerable and advocating for them and alongside them to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Role Responsibilities

• To be responsible for supervising and supporting foster parents and promoting the rights and safety of children placed with foster parents and managing cases.
• To ensure children’s views and wishes are regularly sought, recorded, and acted upon by both yourself and foster parents.
• To ensure that By the Bridge with Cambian meets the indicators set out in the Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards, particularly regarding children’s health, well-being, social and emotional development, and support to manage their responses.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary professional team around the child, including attending meetings, preparing assessments, and completing high-quality reports
• Provide effective support, information, and advice to enable foster parents to deliver consistent and high-quality care to children.
• To ensure that the matching of children to placements is based on high-quality assessments and well-evidenced, defensible decisions.
• Support foster parents in promoting children’s achievements in education, learning, and development while upholding equality and diversity.
• To undertake and produce high-quality assessments and reports.
• To work in line with our policies and procedures, adhering to reporting and recording requirements.
• Maintain professional registration with the relevant social work body and ensure that you take personal responsibility for your ongoing professional development.
• Prepare for and engage in regular supervision with your line manager.

Role Objective

• Conduct a minimum of one monthly home supervision visit and weekly telephone contact with foster parents, or more frequently if required.
• Ensure every child has a completed safety plan that is effective, proportionate, and tailored to the foster parents’ practice.
• To undertake unannounced home visits to foster parents in accordance with BtB policies and procedures.
• Support foster parents in facilitating children’s family time and maintaining appropriate relationships, in line with each child’s care plan.
• Ensure each foster parent has a suitable Personal Professional Development Plan and has completed their TSD standards within the appropriate timeframe.
• Ensure all safety, medical and home checks are suitably assessed and resolved as necessary.
• Facilitate support groups for foster families in line with BtB policies and procedures.

General Responsibilities

• To work in accordance with By the Bridge with Cambian policies and procedures.
• To contribute to the culture of By the Bridge with Cambian.
• To uphold and embody our values at all times, ensuring the protection of children is paramount.
• To adhere to responsibilities under data protection, health and safety legislation and policies.
• To demonstrate a positive commitment to equalities and diversity.
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected or commensurate with your role.

This job description is subject to change as the role evolves.

Person Specification

• Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England
• Strong knowledge of Ofsted regulations and safeguarding best practices
• Proven experience working in fostering or therapeutic childcare settings