Is your passion making a profound and enduring impact on the lives of children and young people? Are you seeking an opportunity with a forward-thinking independent fostering agency brimming with ambitious plans for the future? Whether you are an adept Social Work Manager looking to embark on a new challenge or a seasoned social work practitioner with experience in team leadership and management, we invite you to explore this exciting prospect.
We're in search of an enthusiastic and dedicated Senior Fostering Operations Manager to join our client's accomplished and thriving team. This team is entrusted with guiding a group of seasoned Supervising Social Workers who approach their work with reflection and creativity. In a collaborative spirit with all stakeholders, your mission will be to ensure that the children and young people under their care are empowered to realise their full potential.
Although your home base is the Leicester office, this role necessitates regional travel to provide support to your team, and occasional national travel will be required for visits to other Compass offices. Therefore, a car and a valid driver's license are indispensable for this role.
Responsibilities
- Contribute to the overarching strategic plan for the Fostering Service.
- Collaborate with the Head of Fostering to deliver operational excellence, drive continuous improvement, and enhance the financial performance of the business while prioritising the safety and well-being of children and young people.
- Lead, inspire, and guide a team of social care practitioners to ensure the provision of exceptional care and the best possible outcomes for our children, embedding child protection and safeguarding principles into practice.
- Operate in accordance with in-house policies and comply with legal and regulatory standards and requirements, ensuring that the team's practice is consistently of high quality, reflective, evidence-based, well-documented, and quality-assured.
- Attain regional targets and key performance indicators related to placement growth, carer recruitment, and retention, while ensuring the needs of both children and young people and our carers are met when making placements.
- Exhibit a positive and dynamic leadership and management style, taking responsibility for providing day-to-day operational support to your team of Supervising Social Workers, and cultivating a highly-skilled, well-trained, and motivated team.
- Safeguard the children and young people under their care, including offering support to the Registered Manager in monitoring Schedule 6/7 matters, and, when appropriate, assume delegated responsibility for liaising with Ofsted on these matters.
- Demonstrate exceptional communication and engagement skills in developing, managing, and enhancing customer relationships with key Local Authority customers.
Experience
- You must possess a relevant professional qualification in social work and maintain registration with Social Care England (or an equivalent authority)
- Possess experience in a social work role related to fostering and/or child social care, such as within a looked-after children's team.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify the unique needs of young individuals and provide evidence of this capability.
- Exhibit a strong grasp of fostering regulations, childcare law, and safeguarding issues.
- Conduct impartial and professional assessments of children and young people.
- Have access to a car and maintain a valid driver's license.
For more information or an informal chat call Laura on 0151 559 8680