Social Worker - Kinship Assessment Team

Recruitment Hub; Northampton; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

SWE Registration paid yearly

Retention bonus payments

28 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme + life

Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee discounts

Flexible and family working

Career development opportunities

Subsidised town centre car parking

Job summary

Northamptonshire Children's Trust is seeking an experienced Social Worker for a 12-month fixed-term maternity cover in the Kinship Assessment Team. You will assess kinship carers, support permanence planning and help secure Special Guardianship or kinship fostering arrangements.

You will join a dynamic, child-focused team, travel across West and North Northamptonshire, and have opportunities for remote/hybrid working while delivering high-quality, relationship-based practice.

Qualifications

• Experience in kinship assessments and supervising prospective carers.
• Ability to assess and support carers to achieve permanent outcomes for children.
• Commitment to high-quality, relationship-based practice.

Responsibilities

• Assess potential Kinship carers and provide guidance to secure long-term placements.
• Collaborate with Children’s Services for timely permanence planning.
• Travel to appointments across Northamptonshire; some remote/hybrid work possible.
• Support, mentor and share knowledge with colleagues to improve practice.

Skills

Kinship assessments

Complex cases

Assessment & decision-making

Communication

Mentoring colleagues

Team collaboration

Education

Social Work Degree

Job description

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

• SWE Registration paid yearly (social care colleagues)
• Retention bonus payments for established personnel
• 28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
• Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
• A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
• Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
• Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About the role

Help children achieve safe, stable and lasting family relationships while developing your expertise within a supportive and highly skilled fostering service.

This is a 12-month fixed-term maternity cover opportunity for a qualified Social Worker to join our Kinship Assessment Team, part of Northamptonshire Children's Trust's Fostering Service. In this rewarding role, you will play a vital part in assessing family members and friends who are stepping forward to care for children they know and love, helping to secure permanence through Special Guardianship and Kinship fostering arrangements.

You'll be joining a dynamic, supportive and child-focused team that is passionate about achieving the best outcomes for children and families. We are also committed to developing a skilled, knowledgeable and flexible workforce, promoting innovation, continuous improvement and high-quality practice.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced social worker looking to further develop your skills within kinship and fostering services while making a real difference to children's lives.

We would also consider internal secondments for this position

What will you be doing?

You will assess and support potential Kinship carers who have come forward to offer a long-term placement for children who are connected to them. This involves undertaking comprehensive assessments with potential carers, providing them with guidance and support and securing positive, permanent outcomes for children.

You will also work closely with colleagues across Children’s Services to ensure timely and effective permanence planning.

While you will be based at One Angel Square, Northampton and there are occasions each month when the team comes together there, you will also spend time travelling to appointments across West and North Northamptonshire and sometimes further afield. You will also be able to work remotely at home or at your local office

About you

We are looking for an experienced Social Worker who is passionate about supporting children to remain within their family and support networks wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.

You will have:

• A strong understanding of fostering services and the role of the Kinship Assessment Team.
• Experience of undertaking kinship assessments, of supervising prospective carers and of working with children and families.
• Excellent assessment, analytical and decision‑making skills.
• Strong communication, organisational and relationship-building abilities.
• The ability to manage complex cases and contribute to high-quality practice.
• Experience of supporting, mentoring or sharing knowledge with colleagues.
• A commitment to promoting positive outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

You will be a qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England and be committed to delivering high-quality, relationship-based practice.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and is therefore subject to an Enhanced DBS check, including a Children's Barred List check.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of everything we do. Every decision we make and every action we take is guided by our commitment to delivering high-quality services that make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Northamptonshire.

We know that our people are our greatest strength. Our workforce is at the centre of our success, and we are committed to creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to do the best job of their lives every day. We foster a culture built on kindness, collaboration and trust, where achievements are recognised, ideas are welcomed and innovation is encouraged.

We are proud of the positive impact we make together and delighted that our work has been recognised by Ofsted, with an Outstanding rating for Leadership and Management and Good ratings across Help and Protection, Children in Care and Care Leavers.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation. We are a Disability Confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers, who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of an ambitious, supportive and forward-thinking organisation, Northamptonshire Children’s Trust could be the place for you.

Supporting Children - A Career That Matters

Attached documents:

• SW JD Accessible.pdf - job description and Person specification