In addition to the excellent support, training, and benefits associated with NEWFOCAS, you will enjoy career development within a highly respected and nationally recognised foster care agency. Furthermore, we have successfully gained the 'Investors in People' award as recognition of our high level of good practice, and pride ourselves on creating a happy, enjoyable, and productive work environment.
- Supervising Social Worker (30 hours per week)
Supervising Social Worker
Hours: 30 Hours per week - Monday & Thursday working from home – Wednesday and Friday working in the office (Buckley, Flintshire).
Salary: £21,468.30 - £29,258.84 for 30 hours per week, depending on experience.
Role: To provide a full support service for existing agency carers. (Covering the North Wales, including Anglesey). Generally travelling to Anglesey once every couple of weeks.
Accountable to: The Service Manager
Responsibilities:
To undertake carer supervision to the frequency required by the agency and carers need and to monitor that the carers are working towards the child’s individually tailored placement plan, that it is operating successfully and fits the overall placement strategy.
To ascertain, through supervision and review process, the carers individual and collective training needs and liaise with relevant NEWFOCAS colleagues to ensure that these training needs are met.
To lead a team of carers through attending team meetings, setting up the agenda in conjunction with the carers, keeping a register of attendance and ensuring that the meetings are accurately minuted & sent out to the carers.
To collate diary sheet information along with a trauma informed therapeutic overview into comprehensive weekly progress reports for placing local authorities and to monitor and ensure the report is of the quality expected by the agency.
To attend planning and review meetings and proactively contribute information gathered by NEWFOCAS towards the foster child’s ongoing LAC Planning process and to ensure that the Local Authority continues to subscribe to the agreed plan or alter it according to changing need.
To record a running record for carers and children into CHARMS database and keep records and files up to date.
To work closely with the NEWFOCAS therapeutic social worker and the allocated Local Authority childcare social worker to compile an individually tailored care plan which identifies how the agency and carers will address the ongoing needs of the child; to develop and ensure the provision of a suitable support package to include respite and time out for each set of carers, commensurate with the needs of children and young people placed.
Where necessary and appropriate, undertake direct work with children, in a planned therapeutic manner.
To identify alongside the NEWFOCAS referrals coordinator, suitable matches for potential foster children, undertake risk assessments, liaising with local authority fostering teams, and relevant foster carers, providing suitable information for placement matching purposes and undertaking the admission in accordance with NEWFOCAS policy and procedures.
Promote NEWFOCAS services and provide information to the relevant local authority staff about the specialist nature of those services, in an ongoing manner.
To take an active role in foster care recruitment, including initial visits, telephone initial enquiries.
To undertake approved carer reviews under NEWFOCAS procedures and specifications, provide written reports of such to NEWFOCAS requirements and specifications and present the report to Panel.
Undertake induction training with newly approved foster carers, as soon as possible after their approval and before a child is placed.
To take an active role in Skills to Foster training for the potential foster carers.
To manage any Notifications and Significant incidents and keep up to date with their progress. To be able to carry out Notifications and keep up to date with the processes.
To be involved where required, in the recruitment, training and supervision programme for foster carers.
If deemed necessary to participate in the Out of Hours rota in order to provide a comprehensive and support system for NEWFOCAS carers.
To continue in an ongoing manner to develop your own knowledge and understanding commensurate with your role and responsibilities and to identify any training needs you may have.
Work as part of the social worker team and communicate effectively.
Any other duties as deemed necessary including cover for colleague’s absence.
Recognise different people’s needs.Overall person specification:
The post holder will have an empathic understanding of the nature of the foster carer task, an ability to communicate effectively with carers, social work colleagues within the agency and local authority; be able to work on their own initiative and also as an effective team player; fully understand the systems and legislation operating behind the comprehensive assessment process, have proven organisational skills and the ability to put people from all service sections at their ease; be confident and efficient in their overall approach to the job They will also have the ability and confidence to intervene and support carers in conflict situation and have the ability to mediate and ameliorate in times of potential placement breakdown to resolve that risk, to the agreement of all concerned.
Expected Components of the role:
Essential
Degree in social work or equivalent.
Individualised Professional Social Work
Registration with Care Council in Wales
Proven ability to working in a non -judgemental anti discriminatory manner.
Proven experience of multi -disciplinary working.
Understanding of the effect of childhood trauma on a child’s ongoing development and how this can impact their behaviour.
Proven experience of managing and being conversant with ways to strategically handle the most challenging behaviours displayed by some children and young people.
Ability and experience to enable post holder to work on own initiative and to instigate change in working practice, wherever necessary
The ability to undertaking comprehensive assessments of potential foster carers, training new and existing carers and providing on going support
Mediation, counselling and negotiation skills, and a clear empathy and understanding of the carers role
An ability to compile procedural documentation and produce high quality reports and assessments, to court ready standard.
Working knowledge of local authority or independent agency fostering services
Comprehensive Working knowledge of childcare and foster care legislation, the regulations and statutory guidance of the Regulated Fostering Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2019. including child protection proceduresComputer literacy particularly Microsoft office
Be DBS cleared to enhanced level
A fully qualified car driverDesirable
ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) or equivalent
Be a Welsh speaker and have the ability to work professionally in the medium
Working knowledge of Fostering and adoption panels and associated legislation
Experience of support services
A good working knowledge of youth justice procedures and legislation
Experience of working therapeutically with a client group
Experience of working with a Trauma Informed Team.
Counselling or psychology diploma, or equivalent qualification or proven, in depth experience and training
Practice Teaching Qualification
Ability to create appropriate policies/work with policy makers to effect strategic change.
If you would like to apply for this post, please contact us using the form below.