Social Worker – Fostering – Supervising Social Worker – SSW

Ashberry Recruitment are currently recruiting for a number of agency Children Services Social Workers to join our client, Warrington Borough Council.

We have a requirement for an Agency Supervising Social Worker (SSW) to join their Fostering Team with immediate effect. This role is for a minimum of 6 months to cover maternity leave.

Brief overview of role and responsibilities:

• To provide support and supervision to a number of mainstream and family and friends foster carers to assist them in providing excellent care to children
• To work closely with staff within the service and social work teams to effectively match children to families
• To assess and provide training/ development opportunities to foster carers
• To prepare high quality, accurate and thorough reports for a variety of purposes e.g. presentation in legal proceedings, LADO consultations, planning meetings, children’s reviews, fostering and adoption panels
• To carry out an annual review of Foster families
• To contribute to the development of the fostering service
• Be willing to work flexibly including evening work, when required
• Be involved in the recruitment and assessment of foster carers and undertake Regulation 24 and viability assessments
• Be placed on the duty rota to find internal placements for children in care and respond to any emergencies
• Ensure children in care are safeguarded and relevant procedures are followed if an allegation/ concern is raised against a foster carer
• Manage and appropriately prioritise tasks within an allocated workload
• To assess the need for resources to support a foster care in meeting the needs of any children placed including the identification of risk to children and young people, assess their need for protection, and determine the best method of intervention, ensuring that the Team Manager is consulted/advised throughout the case progression

This is a full time requirement [37hrs], on a temporary on-going contract for at least 6 months, with the potential to join the end client on a permanent basis at some point dependent on service requirements and candidate performance.

Ashberry Recruitment would ask that applicants meet the following:

• DIPSW or equivalent qualification in Social Work and will be registered with Social Work England as a qualified Social Worker.
• Have a full driving licence and car available for work along with business insurance. 
• Have an enhanced and in date DBS certificate 
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to make good decisions based on the information available, ensuring effective relationships with other professionals.
• Have the ability to work within and contribute to a team.
• Possess knowledge of service needs for ethnic minority communities.
• Have confident IT skills and be able to navigate an electronic file system.
• Have the ability to write clear, concise and robust reports.
• Have a flexible approach to work and working hours when the need arises.

Contracts are generally full-time but part time and flexible working hours may be considered. Contracts are normally offered over a 3 month period before rolling on for another 3 more months at a time.

With the current covid circumstances, there is home/remote/agile working available within a lot of these requirements.

Ashberry Recruitment have a team of specialist Social Work Consultants who are here to help you find your next contract and support you through your agency Social Work career.

Please contact Gavin our Senior Specialist Social Work Recruiter should you like to discuss this vacancy or should you wish to discuss any other Social Work vacancies of any nature within the North of England and surrounding areas.