Family Support Worker, Family Placement Fostering Team

Family Placement Team – Family Support Worker (1yr FTC - Maternity Cover)

Wokingham is ambitious for its Social Care, and the quality of relationships our Workers develop with children and young people.  We aspire to deliver the quality of service we ourselves would wish to receive.

To support this ambition, we are looking to take on a Family Support Worker in our Family Placement Fostering Team on a 1 year fixed term contract to cover maternity leave.  As a Family Support Worker, you will work with Foster Carers building positive working relationships, delivering training, hosting support groups and aiding placement stability.

Main Accountabilities:

• To deliver services to Foster Carers and our children in their care by utilising the Signs of Safety and Systemic Practice Frameworks.
• To work directly with Foster Carers and young people in their homes, within the community or other venues.
• To provide support and challenge to Foster Carers to empower them to identify their strengths and areas of development.
• To participate within the duty rota, placing children using thorough matching in a timely manner.
• To work in partnership with all professionals to achieve positive outcomes for children, young people and Foster Carers.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience of both working with children in Foster Care, and with Foster Carers directly.
• Experience of working with Children and Young People who have experienced trauma in the home.
• Knowledge of child development, and ability to aid Foster Carers with parenting children and young people with adverse life experiences.
• You will be a natural communicator, able to advocate when needed, with excellent listening and observation skills.

For more information about the role please contact either Alix Williams (Recruitment & Retention Specialist for Children’s Social Care) alix.williams@wokingham.gov.uk or Holli Blackburn (Team Manager, Family Placement Team) holli.blackburn@wokingham.gov.uk 

Closing date:  Tuesday 12th Nov 2024 at 11pm

Interviews:  21st and 22nd November, at our offices in Wokingahm

We hold the right to close this vacancy early in response to applications received.

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.  

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Whilst this is a fixed term contract appointment, for anyone already employed by Wokingham Borough Council this would be classed as a secondment if successful.  Therefore, the usual permission requests for secondments apply and you must speak to your line manager in the first instance before applying.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

WBC is an equal opportunities employer.