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Job Description

Job Title SW Qualified Placements, Foster Carer Recruitment & Assessment Officer

Reports to Referrals, Assessments and Placements Team Manager

Context and Purpose of the Job

• To provide a friendly, helpful and effective response to local authority staff wishing to place children with the agency and to contribute to the overall objectives of the referrals, assessment and placements team (RAPT).

• To provide a friendly, helpful and effective response to potential foster carers and to contribute to the overall objectives of the recruitment, assessment and placements team.

Major duties and Responsibilities

• To contribute to the recruitment and preparation of potential foster carers.

• To advise, support and supervise independent social workers carrying out fostering assessments for GLF

• To proof read fostering assessments, ensuring that they meet the standards of the agency.

• Contribute to the organisation, administration and delivery of preparatory training for potential foster carers and participate in training of staff and approved foster carers.

• To support the work of the Social Work Teams in ensuring the stability of placements.

• Help carers solve problems arising from placements.

• Visit and support foster carers as needed.

• Ensure that foster carers are informed, and fully comply with all standards and policies and guidance, including safe caring guidelines, agreed by GLF.

• Undertake comprehensive assessments of potential foster carers in accordance with legislation and relevant regulation and prepare a report on their suitability as foster carers, using the BAAF form F format.

• To maintain a list of foster carers with vacancies and circulate details to other members of staff and to local authorities as required.

• To respond to enquiries from local authorities concerning possible placements and to consider which of the agency’s vacancies best match the needs of the child/ren to be placed.

• To safeguard that placements are made which match the needs of the child/ren with the skills and terms of approval of the foster carer/s.

• To consult foster carers and other GLF staff about the suitability of possible placements and to identify and whenever possible resolve problems which might compromise the suitability of potential placements: for instance problems in respect of transport, finance and equipment.

• To regularly communicate with other GLF staff to ensure that information about carers’ circumstances relevant to matching is kept up to date.

• To update the profiles of the agency’s foster carers.

• Respond to enquiries about fostering and undertake home visits to provide information and initial assessment.

• To accurately complete all relevant paperwork and data inputting within agreed timescales.

• To contribute to effective partnership working with local authority placement teams, attending meetings as required.

• To contribute to quality control in the assessment of potential carers by proof reading assessment reports and scrutinising assessments in relation to regulatory and organisational requirements.

• To contribute, as required, to the organisation and minuting of panel meetings.

• To assist in the organisation of day trips and other events organised by the agency.

• To undertake other specialist projects as required.

• Contribute to the organisation, administration and delivery of preparatory training for potential foster carers.

• To induct newly approved foster carers and assist them in completing their training folders as well as resolving any difficulties and concerns they may have about their new fostering career.

• To complete internal foster carer reviews for carers who do not carry out any significant fostering within their first post approval year.

• Such other duties as are appropriate to the post.

• To ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with regulation and agency requirements and contribute to the evaluation and continual improvement of the organisation.

• Participation on GLF’s out of hours service (rota based).

Miscellaneous

• To attend regular supervision meetings with the line manager and to participate in appropriate training and professional development.

• To attend meetings of the Agency as required and to take minutes.

• To input data to the Agency computer and to ensure that such data is accurate and up to date.

• To undertake correspondence in respect of placements and recruitment.

• To undertake word processing as required, ensuring a high standard of quality is maintained by editing and amending work and checking grammar, spelling and sentence construction.

• To ensure all work is carried out in accordance with GLF’s philosophy, quality assurance, complaints, child protection and financial procedures and equal opportunities, employment and health and safety policies.

• To provide administrative support as required to RAPT.

• To evaluate and develop the agency’s administrative systems, making recommendations for improvements.

• Provide a friendly, helpful and well informed response to personal and telephone callers to the organisation and to pass on messages to other members of staff.

• Participate in GLF social and support events, promoting effective relationships between carers, their support networks and staff.

Flexibility

• In order to deliver an effective service, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• A recognised social work qualification (Dip SW or equivalent)

• Current registration with the Health Care Professionals Council

• Willingness to work in extremely flexible way in order to be responsive to the needs of applicants. This is likely to involve occasional evening and weekend working.

• Experience of working in a multi-cultural context.

• Experience of working as part of a team.

Desirable

• Experience of assessing foster carers.

• Experience of training or developing foster carers or other staff acting as a resource for children and young people.

• Experience of working with foster carers.

• Experience of creative thinking in developing ways of meeting the support needs of carers and the care needs of children and young people placed with the agency.

• Experience of working with children and young people.

• Experience of work with children looked after by the local authority.

• In service training relevant to looked after children

• In service training relevant to foster care

• In service training relevant to direct work with children and young people

• Experience of working in a children-centred environment.

• Experience of negotiating with local authorities.

• Experience of training or developing foster carers or other staff acting as a resource for children and young people.

Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• A thorough knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and associated guidance

• Knowledge of the responsibilities of local authorities in relation to looked after children and foster care.

• Excellent telephone manner.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Working knowledge of office procedures.

• Ability to work in partnership with foster carers, parents, employing agency, children’s social workers and other professional agencies.

• Ability to work under own initiative, planning, managing and reviewing own workload.

• Willingness to work in a very flexible way, in order to be accessible and speedy in response to local authority and foster carer’s needs.

• Computer literate with ability to use a computer for word processing to produce reports, access data bases and to use e-mail to communicate with other staff of the agency and outside.

• Ability to form appropriate, professional relationships with foster carers and their families.

• Ability to motivate applicants and to sustain and promote their interest in fostering.

• Skills in developing other people as a resource.

Desirable

• Current knowledge/experience of:

• The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance and regulations for looked after children in foster care;

• The responsibilities of local authorities in relation to looked after children and foster care;

• UK national standards for foster care 1999, the Fostering Regulations 2011 and Fostering Minimum Standards 2011.

• Ability to contribute to the delivery of the “Skills to Foster” preparation course for potential foster carers.

Education and Training

Essential

• A recognised social work qualification (Dip SW or equivalent)

• Current registration with the General Social Care Council

• High standard of literacy and numeracy.

• High standard of ICT skills.

Desirable

• Direct or transferable skills relevant to looked after children specifically or young people generally.

Special Job Requirements

Essential

• Highly motivated to deliver a high quality fostering service in a positive and enthusiastic way.

• Willingness to work in extremely flexible way in order to be responsive and available for foster carer’s and potential foster-carers needs. This may require some evening and weekend availability.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Enthusiasm to learn, adapt and develop further skills.

• Willingness to be available for telephone contact with foster families on an open –ended basis. Exceptions to this availability are made for annual leave, sickness and other agreed circumstances.

• Staff must live within the M25.

• Willingness to cover GLFs out of hours service on a rota basis.

Desirable

• Car ownership, full driving licence and willingness to use car for work.

Equal Opportunities

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to equal access policies in service delivery.

• Knowledge of the implication of race, racial origin, sexuality, gender, culture and linguistic background on childcare practice.

• Commitment to services which enable all children to lead lives that will enable them to reach their full potential.

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience of working in environments that promote equality of opportunity and access for all.