Registered Fostering Manager

Sandwell Children's Trust; Oldbury; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package

Annual leave 31 days + long service

Birthday leave

Learning & Development portal

Latest technology

Performance appraisals

Family-friendly policies

LGPS pension

Job summary

Sandwell Children’s Trust seeks an inspirational Registered Fostering Manager (RFM) to lead its Good-rated Independent Fostering Agency and family time centre. You will drive statutory compliance, oversee kinship and guardianship elements, and shape the sufficiency strategy to deliver stable, local provision for children and carers.

You’ll manage team leaders, develop policies, and maintain high-quality safeguarding and support across the Sandwell carers network, ensuring collaborative

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in social care or fostering services.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.
• Ability to develop and implement policies based on statutory guidance.
• Experience in performance management and service development.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Trust's Ofsted-rated Good Independent Fostering Agency and family time centre.
• Liaise with Ofsted for regulatory reporting and lead fostering inspections.
• Provide strategic direction for service development including sufficiency strategy.
• Supervise Team Managers and Panel Advisor; ensure carer support and training.
• Develop policies and procedures to meet children’s and carers’ needs.
• Represent the service to stakeholders and support reunification where possible.

Job description

Sandwell Children's Trust are seeking a passionate and committed leader to join us in shaping brighter futures for children and families. As the Registered Fostering Manager (RFM), you will play a vital role in overseeing Sandwell Children's Trust's Ofsted-rated Good Independent Fostering Agency and family time centre. You will ensure our fostering services excel in meeting statutory requirements while continuing to innovate and support the needs of children, carers, and families. Furthermore, as well as overseeing the main statutory fostering functions you will also have oversight of the Connected Team (Kinship Carers & Special Guardianship). Our ambition is to provide robust wrap around support to all our carers within Sandwell, keeping children local in their communities and where possible reunification with their families. You will play a key role in the success of the sufficiency strategy, bringing innovation and quality to both provide stable long-term homes for children & young people but also increase internal provision of our highly valued Sandwell Foster Carers.

• Be responsible for the overall management of the service, including the Trust's family time centre, ensuring that statutory requirements are met and exceeded.
• You will liaise directly with Ofsted in relation to regulatory reporting.
• Take the lead on fostering inspections.
• Provide a strategic approach to service development including the sufficiency strategy
• Provide supervision to the Team Managers and Panel Advisor.
• Ensure that support and training is in place for all our carers, working collaboratively with resources from our partner agencies
• Develop and implement policies and procedures based on statutory guidance to ensure that the service is responsive to the needs of children and carers in Sandwell.
  An experienced Social Worker with significant experience of fostering and how IFA's operate.
• Have a Level 5 qualification in leadership and management or, be prepared to commence the qualification within 6 months of starting in the role.
• An inspirational leader with excellent management skills and the ability to encourage team working.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to engage with children, carers and relevant stakeholders.
• Ability to write reports for a range of audiences and be able to verbally present these with confidence.
• Good understanding of performance management and a commitment to providing a high-quality service to children and carers.
  At Sandwell Children's Trust we strive for excellence to improve the lives of children. To achieve this, we know how important it is to retain and attract high performing, forward thinking and innovative people and provide them with all the support they need.

With a culture of collaboration, partnership working and the child at the heart of everything we do, it really is an exciting time to join Sandwell Children's Trust. Working for us There are lots of great reasons to work with us in Sandwell Children's Trust. From a generous rewards package to a culture of learning and development. Our 12 reasons to work for Sandwell Children's Trust sets us apart as the place to grow your career and feel part of a great team. Please visit the Sandwell Deal and our 12 reasons via this hyperlink: https://sandwelldeal.co.uk, Sandwell sits in the heart of the West Midlands and has a diverse population of 341,729 people. While Sandwell is the 12^th most deprived local authority in England, it is a community where our families have high aspirations and where we pride ourselves on equality of opportunity and our adaptability and resilience.

What we can offer you:

• Generous annual leave of up to 31 days, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
• Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 Bank Holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
• We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards., Flexible working patterns that suit you and all of our roles have well-defined career progression.
• Access to our Learning & Development portal offering virtual training programmes, learning & development info bursts, learning events and much more.
• The latest technology enabling more effective and streamlined working.
• Detailed and effective appraisals to strengthen your practice.
• Access to a range of family friendly policies.

Benefits & Rewards

• Up to £6,500 re-location package
• Generous annual leave entitlement, plus 5 additional days for long service recognition.
• The opportunity to purchase up to 10 days additional holiday through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Your birthday off paid in addition to annual leave entitlement and 8 bank holidays, plus a concessionary day at Christmas.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, this is a nationwide career average scheme with employer contributions of 21.6%.
• We recognise individual loyalty with service awards from 2, 5, 10 and every 5 years onwards.
• Reimbursement of Social Work England registration
• 24/7 access to free and confidential employee counselling service
• Access to a range of discount on products and services
• Salary sacrifice schemes for cars, bikes and technology.
• Refer a friend scheme
• Wellbeing initiatives and forums
• Discounted gym membership
• Eye care vouchers