Job summary Salary:£45,662 - £48,062 (Inclusive of 10% market supplement) Hours per week:37 hours Interview date:Tuesday 25 February 2025 Kinship & Fostering - Empowering Young Lives Our OUTSTANDING Children's Services would like to welcome a Social Worker with substantive social work experience to join our Countywide Kinship and Fostering team. We value our staff and take pride in offering social workers and support workers in the service diverse training opportunities, including participation in DDP-led peer reflection groups and engagement in cross-functional projects with other Children's Services. Main duties of the job Kinship is a specialised service within our broader team, that focuses on supporting special guardians, connected person foster care, and private fostering arrangements. Here, you'll become part of a dedicated team of professionals who are genuinely passionate about the service they provide and its impact on the lives of children who require care. Your role will involve assessing foster care applicants, special guardianship, and connected persons, as well as supporting these individuals. Collaborating with colleagues and services, and offering a trauma informed approach, your work will enhance placement quality, stability, and support for caregivers. You should bring prior experience in Children's services, particularly in Kinship or Fostering, along with an expertise in conducting complex assessments and a strong background in safeguarding. Furthermore, a proven track record of both professional and personal development is desired. The role offered will be in accordance with the candidate's experience and skill level. For the Level 4 role, you should have relevant Kinship and Fostering experience and be able to supervise and mentor other staff, in addition to taking additional responsibilities such as more complex assessments and specific project work. You will also have the opportunity to opt in to our 'out-of-hours' phone support as part of the 'paid rota. About us Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. Thats why we focus on getting the things that matter to our people right. This position comes with a 10% market supplement payment. All market supplement payments are subject to review on an annual basis. Date posted 04 February 2025 Pay scheme Other Salary £45,662 to £48,062 a year (Inclusive of 10% market supplement) Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number F0041-3640 Job locations County Hall Bythesea Rd Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8JN Job description Job responsibilities Specific duties and responsibilities include To manage a complex caseload within the family Placement Team including foster carers, Supported Lodgings carers, Short break care and Connected Persons, taking responsibility for specific aspects of supporting the team and colleagues. To participate in the fostering service duty system in order to manage placement requests and to match children requiring foster placement to suitable carers. To work alongside colleagues to deliver effective assessment of and support and training to foster carers in order to increase capacity, quality and stability of foster placements and develop and retain foster carers. To be Primary worker with case responsibility for Children in Need, Children Looked after and when appropriate Children in need of Protection depending on the function of the dedicated team. To operate within the Council policy and regularly updates themselves with social work methods, practice developments, new legislation and procedures. To be responsible for the day to day interpretation of and implementation of statutory duties and departmental policy and procedures in the provision of services to children and young people. To be allocated work from the Team Manager or any person delegated to act on their behalf based on the implementation of eligibility criteria and to hold case management responsibility for this work. To investigate and assess, the needs of and risks to vulnerable children and young people in a timely manner giving due consideration to the wishes and opinions of the child and the childs family. This will include the completion of S47 investigations, Single Assessments and interviewing service users and other relevant persons in the office, their homes or any other suitable venue e.g. hospital, school etc. To take appropriate action to minimise any identified concern or risk to children/young people in accordance with the requirements and timescales of the Assessment Framework, Child Protection procedures and Looked after Children legislation and procedures. To draw up and implement, with the child/young person and their family/carers, an appropriate action plan to address identified issues and to maximise the participation of service users and carers in this process ensuring that social work intervention is only ongoing when necessary in peoples lives. To carry out regular reviews of individual plans, record outcomes and formulate revised plans based on those reviews which are outcome focused. To convene meetings e.g. Core groups to assist in the implementation and review of plans for vulnerable children To write reports for Child Protection Conferences, Planning Meetings, Looked after Children reviews, Legal meetings and Court Hearings and attend these as appropriate within the dedicated teams function. To have a creative approach to meeting need and to ensure local provision, wherever possible, in order to meet identified need within available resources. To have a clear understanding of and ability to manage within financial constraints in service delivery. To work proactively and in partnership with other agencies to plan and deliver coordinated services to children, young people and their families/carers which promotes and focuses on positive outcomesTo maintain accurate and effective electronic recording of information and action taken in the course of their casework. To understand the need for and contribute to the achievement of team and departmental performance targets in order to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people To maintain confidentiality of information acquired in the course of undertaking duties for the department whilst operating in the fullest cooperation with other agencies to ensure that children are appropriately safeguarded. To contribute to team processes in a positive and appropriate manner, by attending team meetings and undertaking any necessary and appropriate team duties. To make an active contribution to the development of service delivery through the sharing of knowledge, information and skills. To take responsibility for own professional development through the utilisation of relevant practice research/developments, legislation, participative supervision and appraisal processes. To undertake further training which is consistent with the individual and the organisation, as negotiated with the manager. To work within an equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory framework. Value diversity within the team and in contact with other professionals, children, young people and families Job description Job responsibilities Specific duties and responsibilities include To manage a complex caseload within the family Placement Team including foster carers, Supported Lodgings carers, Short break care and Connected Persons, taking responsibility for specific aspects of supporting the team and colleagues. To participate in the fostering service duty system in order to manage placement requests and to match children requiring foster placement to suitable carers. To work alongside colleagues to deliver effective assessment of and support and training to foster carers in order to increase capacity, quality and stability of foster placements and develop and retain foster carers. To be Primary worker with case responsibility for Children in Need, Children Looked after and when appropriate Children in need of Protection depending on the function of the dedicated team. To operate within the Council policy and regularly updates themselves with social work methods, practice developments, new legislation and procedures. To be responsible for the day to day interpretation of and implementation of statutory duties and departmental policy and procedures in the provision of services to children and young people. To be allocated work from the Team Manager or any person delegated to act on their behalf based on the implementation of eligibility criteria and to hold case management responsibility for this work. To investigate and assess, the needs of and risks to vulnerable children and young people in a timely manner giving due consideration to the wishes and opinions of the child and the childs family. This will include the completion of S47 investigations, Single Assessments and interviewing service users and other relevant persons in the office, their homes or any other suitable venue e.g. hospital, school etc. To take appropriate action to minimise any identified concern or risk to children/young people in accordance with the requirements and timescales of the Assessment Framework, Child Protection procedures and Looked after Children legislation and procedures. To draw up and implement, with the child/young person and their family/carers, an appropriate action plan to address identified issues and to maximise the participation of service users and carers in this process ensuring that social work intervention is only ongoing when necessary in peoples lives. To carry out regular reviews of individual plans, record outcomes and formulate revised plans based on those reviews which are outcome focused. To convene meetings e.g. Core groups to assist in the implementation and review of plans for vulnerable children To write reports for Child Protection Conferences, Planning Meetings, Looked after Children reviews, Legal meetings and Court Hearings and attend these as appropriate within the dedicated teams function. To have a creative approach to meeting need and to ensure local provision, wherever possible, in order to meet identified need within available resources. To have a clear understanding of and ability to manage within financial constraints in service delivery. To work proactively and in partnership with other agencies to plan and deliver coordinated services to children, young people and their families/carers which promotes and focuses on positive outcomesTo maintain accurate and effective electronic recording of information and action taken in the course of their casework. To understand the need for and contribute to the achievement of team and departmental performance targets in order to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people To maintain confidentiality of information acquired in the course of undertaking duties for the department whilst operating in the fullest cooperation with other agencies to ensure that children are appropriately safeguarded. To contribute to team processes in a positive and appropriate manner, by attending team meetings and undertaking any necessary and appropriate team duties. To make an active contribution to the development of service delivery through the sharing of knowledge, information and skills. To take responsibility for own professional development through the utilisation of relevant practice research/developments, legislation, participative supervision and appraisal processes. To undertake further training which is consistent with the individual and the organisation, as negotiated with the manager. To work within an equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory framework. Value diversity within the team and in contact with other professionals, children, young people and families Person Specification Qualifications Essential PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Desirable PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Experience Essential PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Desirable PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Person Specification Qualifications Essential PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Desirable PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Experience Essential PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Desirable PLEASE SEE JOB ADVERT Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Wiltshire Council Address County Hall Bythesea Rd Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8JN Employer's website http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)