CHildrens Social Worker Fostering Permanent

Job DescriptionChildren’s Social Worker – Kinship & FosteringContract: PermanentLocation: HerefordHours: 37 hoursSalary: £35,235 – £39,513 (plus market supplement of £5,000 per year £40,235 – £44,513) Relocation package of up to £10,000 available Welcome payment: £10,000 The role We would like to welcome a Social Worker with substantial children’s social work experience to join our countywide Kinship team. Your role will involve assessing Connected/Kinship Foster Carers and potential Special Guardians, as well as supporting these individuals. Collaborating with colleagues and services your work will enhance placement quality, stability, and support for caregivers.  You should bring prior experience in Children’s Services, preferably in Kinship or Fostering, along with expertise in conducting complex assessments for Court/Foster Panel, and a strong background in safeguarding. You must understand regulatory requirements in relation to Kinship care. Excellent assessment skills are essential, with the ability to provide analytical comprehensive reports within set timescales. Kinship is a specialist team within our broader fostering service, focusing on assessment of connected person foster carers and Special Guardians, and the support and supervision of approved connected foster carers. We also cover private fostering and offer ongoing support to Special Guardians post-order.We are a dedicated team, passionate about improving the lives of our children and young people, and ensuring Kinship carers receive the support and recognition they deserve.  Essentials: You will be fully qualified (SW Degree, DipSW, or equivalent social work qualification), with a minimum of 3 years’ recent experience in a statutory setting, preferably within Kinship & Fostering. You must be registered with Social Work England and you must have a full driving licence with access to a car.  Herefordshire is on a journey and we would like you to be part of our next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity to have a genuine impact and help improve and protect the children and young people within the county. We Offer A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes: Basic Salary of 08HC £35,235 – £39,513 Market rate supplement £5,000 per year Welcome payment £10,000 for experienced social workers joining our children’s teams Relocation packages: support of up to £10,000 Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS) Professional development: protected time and budget to support social workers develop themselves and their careers. Career progression: clear pathways to progress to senior social worker level Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling Payment of professional membership fees Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.  About Us Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns. Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People.  How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it’s an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be  Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole.  We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.  Come to Herefordshire and join the journey. Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks. We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered. The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for: Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme. ​Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, or their families. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care. We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.  INDSEMQSW