Supervising Social Worker – Fostering Team

 Permanent, Full Time Position 37.5 hours per week

Salary – £36,000 – £45,000 dependent on qualifications & experience

In addition: £50 for on-call duties completed Monday – Thursday

£75 for on-call duties completed Friday – Sunday (including Bank Holidays)

Essential car allowance of £1500 per annum

36 days paid annual leave per year and a loyalty scheme which rewards you with extra annual leave following 2 years of service.

Company Benefits include:

• Private Medical care
• Private Optical, Dental and Audiological cover
• An employee assistance and wellbeing program (EAP) for staff which includes counselling services, debt and finance support which is available to staff and adult family members within the home.
• Long service awards for 5, 10 and 15 years service
• Loyalty scheme which rewards you with extra annual leave following 2 years of service, up to 5 extra days.
• Company events such as Awards ceremonies to celebrate employees and children in our care.
• Annual performance reviews
• Team building days

Further benefits include:

• We offer very well supported and manageable caseloads with limited ‘On-Call’ commitments. We also offer an additional on call allowance:
  • £50 for duties completed Monday – Thursday
  • £75 for duties completed Friday – Sunday (including Bank Holidays)
• Essential car allowance of £1500 per annum
• Flexible working under a hybrid home working arrangement

• Regular Clinical Supervision available

• Opportunity to attend therapeutic training courses, including Attachment & Relationship Based Practice Training run by Professor David Shemmings and Pace with Dan Hughes

 Channels & Choices is an award winning, dynamic company specialising in children’s residential care, Fostering and Education based in South East Kent. OFSTED judge our services as ‘Good’

We are currently looking to recruit a Supervising Social Worker based within our Fostering Agency in South East Kent. This position is a permanent role and you will be responsible for the assessment, supervision and support of foster carers based in Kent. The successful candidate will be part of our unique, expanding organisation which helps children achieve their full potential.

Channels and Choices Therapeutic Fostering specialise in working with children who have experienced trauma.  We create a secure base for all the children in our care and we focus on achieving seamless transitions so that children can be part of a loving and nurturing family.

The post is permanent, full time (37.5 hours) and is based within our Fostering Team in South East Kent.  We offer a competitive Salary Range of £35,000 – £42,000 per annum.

These are exciting times as Channels & Choices continues to expand and develop its Fostering & Residential Services and we are looking for someone to join our dynamic multi-disciplinary staff team who has a passion for promoting outstanding outcomes for children in care.

JOB DESCRIPTION – Supervising Social Worker

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure compliance with regulations, legislation, and best practice guidelines.
• Provide support and supervise a small group of carers.
• Provide high quality services to the children and young people placed with Channels and Choices Fostering Services
• Ensure an excellent quality service that promotes positive outcomes for looked after children
• Be responsible for assessments and reports in relation to the families and children.
• Promote the company and ensure professional standards are maintained at all times.

Experience & Skills

• You must be professionally registered with the Social Work England, and eligible to work in the UK
• You must have a relevant Social Work qualification (BA/MA Social Work/DipSW or equivalent)
• Previous social work experience, ideally within a fostering team
• Full working knowledge of current statutory and regulatory guidelines governing the operation of fostering, services for children and young people and of child care legislation
• Full UK Driving License and use of own car
• Flexibility, adaptability, confidentiality
• You will be required to form part of an on call team

Person Specification

Qualifications (Essential)

• Professional Registration with Social Work England and eligible to work in the UK
• Relevant Social Work qualification (BA/MA Social Work/DipSW or equivalent)

Experience (Essential)

• Minimum of 1 years’ experience working with children &, adolescents within the Care System as well as, families and foster carers – preferably within a Fostering Agency or similar setting
• Experience of working with relevant client groups who present with his levels of complexity and difficulty

Experience (Desirable)

• Experience of undertaking Form F Assessments

Skills & Abilities (Essential)

• Excellent verbal , communication and interpersonal skills in order to communicate effectively with carers, children, families and colleagues
• Ability to work effectively on own initiative as well as within a team
• Ability to build relationships and promote change
• Computer literate for report and assessment writing
• Skills in providing consultation to foster carers or other client groups
• Ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to distressing situations and challenging behaviour

Skills & Abilities (Desirable)

• Ability to facilitate or develop training courses

Knowledge (Essential)

• Good understanding of child development
• Full working knowledge of current statutory and regulatory guidelines governing the operation of fostering, services for children and young people and of child care legislation
• Understanding of Child Protection & Safeguarding

Knowledge (Desirable)

• Working knowledge of Attachment Theory based practice
• Knowledge of the mental health needs of children and adolescents

Personal Qualities (Essential)

• Commitment to continued professional and personal development
• Professional credibility
• Commitment to equal opportunities and valuing diversity
• Demonstrate a commitment to supervision and reflective practice

Additional (Essential)

• Driver with use of own car

We have a strong commitment to staff development and there will be considerable opportunities for internal and external training and for sharing good practice within the community.

Channels and Choices are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the young people in our care.  Staff are all required to adhere to the organisation’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.  This post will be subject to a clear Enhanced DBS Disclosure, an employment background check, satisfactory references & verification of a right to work in the UK.  As part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment, CV’s cannot be considered without a completed application form.