Are you ready to make a real difference in the lives of children and families? Dorset Council is looking for passionate and dedicated Fostering Social Workers to join our supportive and dynamic team. This is a maternity leave cover. In this vital role, you will: Support Dorset's foster carers—mainstream and kinship carers alike—to achieve remarkable outcomes for the children in their care. Provide guidance and supervision to ensure foster carers feel confident and well-supported in their roles. Be equipped with regular supervision, 1:1 advanced practitioner support, and ongoing training to help you grow your therapeutic and professional skills. We are proud to be implementing the innovative Mockingbird Family Model, giving you the unique opportunity to work alongside and support constellations of foster carers. Take responsibility for a Mockingbird constellation as your caseload, supporting up to 11 foster carers to provide the best outcomes for children. Undertake reviews of approved foster carers and ensure the highest standards of care are consistently met. Monitor compliance with safeguarding standards and National Minimum Standards. Provide flexible working and out-of-hours support to foster carers when needed. We need someone who: Is passionate about the welfare and journey of children and young people that are supported by our foster families. Has excellent organisational and communication skills, with the ability to meet deadlines. Can accurately analyse situations and produce detailed written reports with precision. Must be a qualified social worker registered with Social Work England for more than three years. Possess a clear enhanced DBS check. Hold a clean, full driving licence, essential for fulfilling the travel requirements of the role. Demonstrate flexibility. Proven experience in working with foster carers within a statutory social care environment. Strong working knowledge of child care legislation, statutory guidance, and practice. Ability to foster an environment where social work practice can thrive. What we offer: Comprehensive training through our Social Work Academy, along with a tailored induction program. Access to Dorset's staff wellbeing service, ensuring you’re supported in all areas of your career and life. The opportunity to work in a supportive team based in Dorchester, while managing a countywide caseload. A chance to work as part of a council that values your dedication and provides career progression pathways. You will play an integral role in keeping young people close to their families and communities by ensuring they receive outstanding care from well-supported foster carers. Be part of a Council that values your dedication, supports your growth, and empowers you to make a difference. Apply today and be part of a team making a meaningful impact in the lives of children and families across Dorset. Further Information For an informal conversation regarding this role, please contact Cristina Matei at [email protected]. Or Lisa Coombs at [email protected]. Alternatively, please call on 01305 225826. This is a part time position for 26 hours per week. This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed. This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders. See our policy on safeguarding children and young people. You must: have a degree in Social Work be registered with Social Work England be able to fulfil the travel requirements of the post About Us At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future. We: provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents work in partnership to make a real difference value every role and the impact it has on our communities support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive You will: be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset have access to a range of benefits and support have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. Find out more about how to apply.