Training & Development Officer

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £36,621 - £40,458 per annum (pro rata for part-time)

Working Hours: Monday to Wednesday 18.5 hours per week (Wednesday all day, and half day either Monday or Tuesday depending on preference)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 28th September 2026

Interview Date(s): 9th October 2026

As this is a part-time role, you will work alongside a colleague to develop and deliver a high-quality training programme for Foster Carers and Supported Lodgings Hosts, ensuring it meets identified needs while remaining within budget constraints. Providing training to foster carers is a statutory requirement for all fostering agencies. The quality and effectiveness of this training have a direct impact on the skills, knowledge and confidence of foster carers, enabling them to provide the best possible support to children in care. We are looking for a highly motivated individual who can work independently, manage their own workload effectively, and contribute positively as part of a team. You will work closely with colleagues across the Fostering Service to ensure training provision is engaging, relevant and responsive to the needs of our carers and the children they support.

About the Role

Identify the training and development needs of Foster carers and Supported Lodgings hosts through regular consultation with the carers, trainers, internal departments and agencies. Commission suitable and appropriate training within the budget. Maintain accurate information regarding training commissioned and related invoice progression. Consider creative ways to encourage carers to engage and access training to develop their skills, including 1 to 1 support, locality group meetings and home visits where required. Support Foster carers and Supported Lodgings hosts access to all training platforms. Work closely with Thrive colleagues in Learning & Development. Monitor the quality and effectiveness of training packages and produce the annual training program. Maintain accurate electronic records of training and ensure training activity is recorded on mosaic, and provide data for the annual report. Complete actions within timescales, problem-solving, and liaising with management, social workers, carers to ensure efficient and timely delivery of project objectives. Participate in meetings with staff and other professionals to respond appropriately and flexibly to national, regional and local drivers that meet the needs of vulnerable children, young people and families.

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

Please ensure that you cover all 7 points in your application and provide clear examples and evidence of how each point has been met.

• Have an NVQ level 3 in Childcare Diploma or Childcare Qualification, or evidence of continuing professional development.
• Have experience of working directly with challenging children and young people, as well as vulnerable young people in at least one of the following settings: social care, education, youth offending or health.
• Have knowledge of child development and an awareness of differing needs of children and young people and their carers, knowledge of other cultures, and have an understanding of the risk factors and prevention work that impacts upon children’s attachment, and presenting behaviours.
• Have an understanding of the impact of trauma upon child development, behaviour and ability to build trusting relationships.
• Have good time management skills, organisational and planning skills, assessment skills, IT skills, and a good standard of case recording and report writing skills.
• The ability to communicate confidently and respectfully with children, young people and carers and build trusting relationships; adapt to changing requirements and manage challenging situations; observe and analyse behaviour and identify solutions; work effectively independently and as part of a team and with other agencies; contribute to multidisciplinary meetings and information sharing; maintain accurate electronic and written records; and work within the Signs of Safety framework.
• The ability be accountable for allocated casework and undertake administrative tasks, maintaining effective recording systems and responding to queries.

You must have a current driving licence, access to a car, and be able to travel to designated locations.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Heather Hughes, Assistant Service manager

Telephone: 0116 305 9755

Email: Heather.Hughes@leics.gov.uk

Or

Aimee Hassell, Supervising Senior Social Work Practitioner

Telephone: 0116 305 8001

Email: Aimee.Hassell@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us