Family Care fostering is looking for a Practice Manager driven and passionate about making a real difference in the lives of looked-after children and young people while leading and supporting our team of Supervising Social Workers across the Midlands and Northwest regions.
As a Practice Manager, you will play a key role in raising the quality and standards of social work practice within our fostering service.
You will oversee various processes, including Foster Carer supervisions, fostering assessments, and annual reviews.
You will support the Registered Manager in leading the team through inspections and contribute to driving and measuring positive outcomes for the children and young people in our care.
You will deputise for the Registered Manager when necessary and help manage fostering budgets while ensuring that our service remains flexible and responsive to the needs of vulnerable children and young people.
Key Responsibilities: Supervise and appraise a team of Supervising Social Workers.
Support the development and delivery of the region's Foster Carer recruitment programme.
Act as Panel Advisor for the Fostering Panel.
Manage the Assessment and Annual Review processes, ensuring timely and compliant submissions.
Oversee quality assurance for fostering assessments and reviews.
Coordinate and chair team meetings in the absence of the Registered Manager.
Prepare and support staff with various internal and external reports.
Liaise with Independent Reviewing Officers for Foster Carer Reviews.
Participate in the service's Out of Hours provision.
Manage annual leave and TOIL requests for the Fostering Team.
Work closely with the Learning & Development Coordinator to deliver training programmes.
Represent the agency at various professional gatherings and forums.
Contribute to developing effective communication systems within the family placement service and across the company.
What We Offer: A supportive and committed management team.
Opportunities for professional development and training.
A chance to make a significant impact on the lives of children and young people.
A competitive salary and benefits package.
Requirements: Extensive knowledge of fostering regulations, legislation, and best practices.
Proven experience in supervising social work teams.
Strong leadership and quality assurance skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Why Join Us?
This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a flexible, supportive environment where your contributions will directly impact the success of the young people and foster carers we support.
Extensive training Access to Paycare and Employee Assistance Programme Contributory Pension Long Service Awards Family Care is committed to safeguarding and always promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects the post holder to share this commitment.
In order to meet this responsibility, we follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we select the suitable candidates. All offers of employment are subject to safeguarding checks, both an Enhanced DBS check and comprehensive references will be carried out.
We are permitted to ask whether an applicant has any convictions, cautions or reprimands or final warnings (spent or otherwise) under the current guidance, as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (exceptions) Order 1975.
Please note that disclosure of a criminal background will not debar you from employment.