JMT Care Services is an independent fostering agency that provides high quality fostering and continuing care placements for children and young people through the JMT Fostering and JMT Young Adult Placement services. We are looking for an experienced Social Worker to join our small team. You will be based in our Dundee office, covering Dundee, Fife, Perth and Angus. Induction, training and team meetings take place in our Livingston office.
You will be involved in the recruitment, assessment, training and supervision of foster carers.. As a qualified Social Worker registered with the appropriate body, you will have recent experience of fostering or child care practice, including the recruitment and assessment of potential foster carers. A good knowledge of fostering regulations, child care law and safeguarding issues is essential. You must have excellent communication skills and a commitment to high quality practice.
You will be joining a well-established and experienced team that has high expectations for their level of practice. You will be a good communicator and a skilled and self-motivated professional, with the ability to work flexibly, including travel across the country. As well as managing your caseload and supporting colleagues, you will be part of a duty rota to support the running of the service, both within and outside of normal office hours dealing with crisis and challenges. You will be involved in delivering bespoke training to prospective and existing foster carers. You will have a strong commitment to promoting and safeguarding the wellbeing of children, along with an appreciation of the demands that come with working for a high quality fostering service in an increasingly competitive environment.
Post: Social Worker
Reporting to: Head of Fostering and Young Adult Placement
JOB PURPOSE
To develop and support high quality professional foster care placements for children and young people who are looked after by local authorities in Scotland, and to contribute effectively to the development of the organisation.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Foster Carers and Young People
● To organise and participate in the recruitment, preparation, training, assessment and ongoing support and supervision of foster carers and young adult placement carers.
● To liaise with local authorities regarding referrals and appropriate placements of children and young people.
● To participate in matching referrals of children/young people with the most appropriate and suitable foster carers approved by the organisation.
● To undertake supervising Social Worker duties and provide direct support for a designated number of foster carers, including identifying training needs and supporting training implementation, keeping foster carers up to date on good child care practice, and addressing any practice issues.
● To ensure that carers operate within safe caring guidelines and National Standards for Foster Care and, where appropriate, National Standards for Adult Placement Services.
● To liaise with involved professionals and ensure that all relevant parties are kept informed of developments and progress of placements.
● To facilitate meetings with family and friends of children/young people in placement, where appropriate.
● To attend meetings and prepare reports for Children’s Hearings, LAAC Reviews, Fostering Panels and any other relevant fora as required.
2. Organisation
● To participate in the office duty rota.
● To participate in the out-of-hours carer support duty rota.
● To contribute positively to regular team meetings which address the operational matters of the service and to other fora which address the strategic direction of the organisation.
● To engage in professional supervision on a regular basis with the designated Manager.
● To contribute to the ongoing development of the service and its policies, procedures and practices.
● To undertake any other duties as requested by the Service Manager.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Skills and Experience:
● Relevant Social Work qualification.
● Valid Social Work registration.
● Demonstrable knowledge of relevant child care and fostering legislation in Scotland.
● Understand the role of Child’s Social Worker, the role of other agencies involved with Looked After Children in particular, health and education.
● Show a knowledge of the growth and development of children and the impact of trauma on child development.
● Previous post-qualifying experience in a child care setting.
● Post-qualifying experience in Family Placement is highly desirable.
● Experience of group working and delivery of training is desirable.
● Experience of undertaking assessments and providing high quality written reports is essential.
● Experience of attending panels or formal meetings regarding children or carers is essential.
● Ability to produce high quality reports and management information – to be used for internal and external purposes.
● Ability to work with a degree of autonomy, in a flexible and creative manner whilst adhering to policies and procedures at all times.
Key Competencies:
● Maintain agency standards regarding accuracy when dealing with information and data. Display an organised and precise approach to paperwork paying attention to compliance in standard procedures and current working practice.
● Be willing to work in collaboration and share information within and across the organisation. Make and maintain good working relationships with colleagues to add to team morale.
● Be able to prioritise the child in your relationship with the carer and understand this complex dynamic in different circumstances.
● Show an understanding of the impact of trauma on others and yourself and that you are able to manage this effectively on your own and with support from colleagues or managers.
● Plan and organise time effectively. Prioritise work in a challenging environment and ensure timescales are met.
● Must have a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle, and be prepared to travel regularly across the country.
● Must be flexible in terms of hours worked including attending meetings or events outwith core hours and be based at more than one location.