Senior Practitioner - Fostering Recruitment and Assessment

An opportunity has arisen for a Senior Practitioner to join the Fostering Recruitment and Assessment Team.

You will have a manageable caseload that provides you with the opportunity to work with prospective new foster carers, supporting the recruitment and training of foster carers and completing Form F assessments. You will also be required to engage with a range of partners in delivering services to children and young people.

About you

• You will hold a degree in Social Work - CQSW, DipSW or equivalent and be registered with Social Work England. You will have demonstrable post qualifying experience of working with children and families.
• In addition to this, you will also have previous experience of supporting staff on aspects of casework and where appropriate supervising a family support worker or acting as a Practice Assessor for students on placement.
• A driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes is essential.

Our offer to you:

In addition to the annual salary, we are proud to offer an excellent benefits package including –

• Market Allowance of £3,000 per annum (paid monthly in 12 equal payments)
• Retention Payment of £2,000 per annum (paid in April following 2 years’ service with Medway Council)
• Career progression scheme to support your pathway of professional development
• Essential User Allowance with option to transfer to Lease Car after 6 months
• Excellent local government pension scheme
• Free car parking
• Access to ICT equipment and mobile phone, to support hybrid model of working
• Access to a confidential information, advice and counselling service
• Relocation allowance of up to £8,000

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Karen Alemao, Team Manager for Fostering Recruitment and Assessment, on 01634 334686.

#MakeItMedway

This post is subject to an Enhanced Children's DBS check.

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.

Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information-

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile.

Medway Council are not able to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship, so candidates must already possess the right to work in the UK.

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement

Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age

For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online

Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.

Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.