An exciting opportunity has arisen for the role of Fostering Team Manager with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Fostering Recruitment Team
As the team manager, you will be responsible for managing the fostering recruitment team within the fostering service to oversee the marketing, recruitment and assessment of foster carers for NCT in line with our sufficiency needs. The post holder, in partnership with the colleague managers within the service, will be responsible for the oversight and development of the training offer available to NCT carers in order to support the development and delivery of high-quality support to foster carers and the children and young people in their care in line with the appropriate regulatory and legal frameworks, building on the progress already made in achieving the Ofsted judgement of GOOD in January 2024.
You will be pivotal in maintaining collaborative working relationships with colleagues within the Children’s Trust, foster carers and partner agencies to ensure that all children in our care are well supported to maximise their life chances.
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)
* Recruitment Welcome Bonus of £2,200
* Relocation costs of up to £8,000
* 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 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
What will you be doing?
As a fostering team manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of the work of the fostering recruitment team and the effectiveness training offer available to foster carers to support them to meet the needs of the children and young people in their care.
You will be providing line management supervision and support the practice manager social workers, recruitment officer and training coordinator within the team to ensure the promotion of foster carer recruitment and retention.
You will maintain an oversight of practice standards and compliance using case auditing and monitoring of service KPI’s and work collaboratively with the service manager to develop and improve practice in line with the service plan.
You will work with the service manager to review and develop practice and policy within the fostering service in line with changes to regulation and legislation and in response to local and national developments including learning from research.
We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email: Tracy.Morton@nctrust.co.uk and they can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you
About you
We are looking for someone who is passionate about developing and delivering high quality services for Children, Young People, and their Families. You will have a creative and flexible approach that will support the service as we move forward.
You will have experience of supporting staff and stakeholders through change and have a commitment to maintaining a culture in which staff feel supported and involved in practice development.
We are looking for someone who can develop and maintain respectful, collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders.
You will have had previous experience of working and managing within a social care setting including within fostering services and as such a working knowledge of the Fostering Regulations, NMS and the legislative framework within which fostering services operate.
Previous experience of working within an IFA alongside a Children’s Trust would be beneficial but is not essential.
You will be a qualified social worker registered with social work England
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 all we do – in every decision we make and every action we take. Our mission is driven by the unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcomes for them. The Trust is wholly owned and funded but operationally independent from the Councils.
Our workforce are our most valuable asset and are pivotal to making the services and support we offer to children, young people and families who need us to be the absolute best we can be.
We value our colleagues and empower them to be able to do the best job of their lives every single day, working in a culture of support and kindness where achievements are celebrated and creativity is very much welcomed.
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.
Join our dedicated team and be a part of an organisation where your work makes a real difference.