Consultant Practitioners
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Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.
Brighter Futures for Children
Adoption & Permanence Service
Work location: Civic Centre, Reading (hybrid working available in-line with BFfC agreed expectations and service needs)
About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. However, the company will be merged back into the Council as of October and this post will then be within Reading Borough Council’s (RBC’s) Children’s Services Kinship Team. All Children’s Services employees enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.
We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Offending Service and traded services with schools.
Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives.
About the role
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Kinship team within Brighter Futures for Children’s Adoption & Permanence Service.
Our Adoption & Permanence Service sits within our Children’s Social Care Service. The Service, brings together a number of our permanency services, including, but not limited to:
• Permanency Planning for all Children Looked After aged up to 10 years.
• Family finding for children with Care Plans of permanent fostering.
• The assessment of Connected Carers and Special Guardians.
• Supervision of and support to Connected Carers.
• The provision of Special Guardianship Support Services.
• The registration of Private Foster Carers and monitoring and supporting private fostering arrangements.
• The management of the BFfC Permanence Allowance Scheme.
• Liaison with our RAA and the day-to-day management of our RAA contract.
• The provision of support and advice to social workers and managers across the local authority, with regards to achieving and maintaining permanent placements for Children Looked After.
• The completion of Life Books and setting up of contact arrangements for adopted children.
• The completion of Life Books for children permanently placed for long-term fostering.
The post holder will hold a caseload of the more complex cases being managed within the service. This will require them to have a high level of relevant knowledge regarding Children & Families social work practice along with experience and skills in working with substitute carers, in particular Kinship Carers, including Special Guardians. This post holder will also need to be experienced and confident around giving evidence and managing cross examination in Court, and to have good working knowledge of the adoption process for Children Looked After.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
• Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
• Discounted Child Care (on site nursery)
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Season train ticket loans
• Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme
• A range of local shopping discounts
Post specific training will be made available to the successful applicant dependent on previous experience.
Training will also be made available around:
• Relevant BFfC policies, procedures and Practice Guidance.
• The BFfC Mosaic records system.
Professional supervision will be available and Individual professional objectives will be set as part of your continuous professional development and will be reviewed through professional supervision and annual appraisals (with six monthly review).
Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.
Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.
Closing date: Sunday 17th August
Interview date: Friday 29th AugustNote: Interviews will be held face-to-face at the Civic Offices in Reading
We look forward to hearing from you!
Salary range
- £50,075 - £56,269 per year