Senior Social Work Assistant (Kinship Fostering Support Team)
Birmingham Children’s Trust is looking for a Senior Social Work Assistant to join our Kinship Fostering Support Team on a permanent basis. The role supports children who are unable to remain with their parents by caring for them within their wider family network.
Responsibilities
- Undertake home visits including visiting some carers who may live outside the borough and undertaking urgent visits where there has been a safeguarding concern or where a family requires urgent support.
- Provide practical support such as transporting children and their belongings to a family member to prevent placement breakdown or when there is a placement move or to enable a child to attend contact.
- Provide practical support with transporting carers to a particular venue for training or an event or to attend an important meeting.
- Support carers to access and progress their training online and face‑to‑face to develop their knowledge and skills.
- Support supervising social workers with delivering training to carers.
- Assist with setting up and managing carer support groups.
- Provide support to carers with completing referrals and application forms to secure additional services such as requesting alternative accommodation from the housing department.
- Provide support and guidance to carers with parenting and managing behaviour.
- Use good communication skills to help mediate between carers and children where there is a relationship breakdown or family meetings to create a support plan for the carer to enable them to get a break.
- Provide practical assistance in the home such as supporting with decluttering or budgeting.
- Undertake direct work with children to support them in their placement.
Qualifications
- Experience and a background of direct work with vulnerable children, young people and their families within a children’s or family placement setting.
- Knowledge and an understanding of children’s legislation and processes, preferably in fostering issues, coupled with knowledge and understanding of the needs of children with a history of trauma and complex needs.
- Ability to develop strong relationships with children, carers and a range of professionals, with effective communication and report‑writing skills.
- Strong administration and IT skills, with time split between office‑based tasks and community visits.
- A flexible approach with good organisational and time‑management skills in a vibrant and busy work environment.
- Ability to work proactively and creatively, using own initiative.
Benefits
- A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
- Free on‑site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). On‑site electric car charging ports are also free to use.
- Full access to an internal employee benefits scheme including occupational health services, rewards schemes, benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), health & fitness and personal wellbeing support.
- Flexible and hybrid working policy with a variety of working patterns combining office and home time.
- Pension scheme – you will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.
Safeguarding
Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people. The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people. We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records; having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.
Our Values
We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected. We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people. We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.
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