Fostering Support Worker

JOB TITLE: Social Work Assistant

RESPONSIBLE TO: Team Manager

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Team Manager, Service Manager

LOCATION: full time Home based role with access to office in Uxbridge, working with families and children in London and the surrounding counties.

ROLE: Support role for looked after children and foster carers.

SALARY SCALE: starting at £22,000

Experience and skills required:

- NVQ Level 3 in childcare preferred but not essential
- Empathise and understand young people in the care system
- Build relationships with children which present with challenging behaviours
- Work well with professionals and foster parents
- Focused and set targets for young people based on what is happening in their lives
- Experience in supporting young people who have had various placement breakdowns.
- Experience in working directly with looked after children
- Knowledge of child care laws and the fostering regulations.
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures
- Experience of working with diversity
- Must hold a Full Driving Licence

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

- Support the children's needs and promote their independence.
- To work under and comply with the Fostering Regulation 2011 and the NMS.
- To meet with the allocated SSW and Registered Manager/ Team Manager to ensure that the young person’s background is understood prior to any work commencing.
- To respect confidentiality and to comply with your duty of confidentiality to RFS. Keep all information in relation to applicants in a secure place throughout. Return all relevant information to RFS once the piece of work comes to an end.
- To provide the Registered Manager and SSW with an evidence log of your visits, highlighting the issues discussed and targets for the next session. This is to be completed within 48 hours of your session.
- All work will likely take place outside school hours.
- If safeguarding matters are raised, these are to be reported immediately to the Registered Manager.
- The records of your mentoring sessions can be shared with the child’s allocated Social Worker.
- Teach daily living skills such as budgeting, shopping and claiming benefits
- Spend time with the young person out of the placement taking part in an activity which is agreeable by both parties.
- Help children to deal with problems and become independent
- Liaise with professional support network where necessary and agreeable by your line manager and attend LAC statutory meetings if called upon.
- Liaise with the foster parents where appropriate
- To facilitate and support your person to make decisions affecting their life.
- To support the young person to maintain their health and general well-being.
- To encourage the young person with personal care where required.
- To support the young person manage his/her challenging behaviour, ensuring safeguarding at all times.
- To monitor outcomes in education for children throughout the service and report findings on a quarterly basis.
- To continue to work in line with agency policies and procedures particularly in relation to the boundaries of the relationship and safeguarding.
- Allow the young person to have the opportunity to feedback issues that they may have regarding how the mentoring support is delivered or any areas of concern
- Flexible working
- Ability to plan events for children and lead on consultation cohorts
- Support the team of social workers as and when required

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

**Salary**: From £22,000.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Flexitime
- Private dental insurance
- Private medical insurance
- Store discounts
- Wellness programmes
- Work from home

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

- Bonus scheme
- Loyalty bonus
- Performance bonus

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Uxbridge, Greater London: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

**Experience**:

- Direct work with children and young people: 2 years (preferred)