Ascent Fostering Agency
Wallington, Surrey
Job Summary We are looking for a bright and articulate team player with excellent IT and interpersonal skills to join our vibrant team. Your role will give you a broad exposure to the workings of a Ofsted rated Outstanding Fostering Agency and Children's Homes. You will need a keen attention to detail, brilliant communication and excellent use of systems including Microsoft Excel. Main Duties and Responsibilities To provide comprehensive administrative support to the Team Coordinator, Senior Management, the Social Work and Residential Teams and Fostering Panel Co-ordinating the collation of HR information required for the recruitment of new staff for Ascent Children Services, including social workers/administrators/residential team/ Form F assessors and Panel Members, staff across the residential and fostering agency. This involves co-ordinating requests for reference checks, DBS etc., medicals and liaising with the Team Coordinator, Social Work team and senior management in relation to the status of these checks Supporting the approval and regular receipt of information required for the registration of Foster Carers. This includes carrying out checks and references for new foster carers and back up foster carers and monitoring returns and recording receipts on Social Care IT systems of both prospective foster carers, foster carers. To coordinate, plan and disseminate appropriate forms for Foster Carers' annual reviews. Ensure dates for reviews are agreed upon within the approval timescales in conjunction with SSWs, IRO, foster carers, LASW and young people.Ensure reports are completed, signed and where necessary ready for presentation to the Panel Disseminate Foster Carer Agreements to carers, ensure correct approval terms are noted and upload returned signed agreement to charms. Assist Team coordinator with the preparation of Fostering Panel meetings, ensure case correspondence is uploaded by deadlines, and circulate notifications to Panel members and SSWs involved with specific Panel meetings. Attend Panel meetings to minute take, liaise with the Panel Chair to agree on final minutes and upload final minutes to Dropbox and Charms. Take minutes of meetings including fostering Panels, team meetings, HR meetings and foster carer support meetings, providing accurate typed records and disseminating records within agreed timescales Data inputting on electronic systems, including the CHARMS, Citation and ClearCare, competent in Microsoft Office (Word/Excel) Training and Social Events - Administer carers and team annual training and social calendar, sending out texts and email notifications and reminders to carers and staff. Coordinating room bookings, sending out advanced training text/email reminder alerts to carers, liaising, with course facilitators and assisting with course correspondence in advance of course, preparing and distribution of carers course notes handouts, process and distribution of carers course certificates, coordinate Ascent Carers team meetings, update carers individual training profiles and course attendance log, arrange catering and refreshments for training sessions, present refreshments and lunches and tidy away after sessions, undertake any other duties required by the Team Coordinator, Senior ManagementTeam and SSW's Support the running of the Office. This includes responding to all telephone/email or in person visitor enquiries respectfully and communicate effectively and appropriately Where necessary support the team with marketing; responding to calls and enquiries, taking applicant details, sending out letters and information packs and assisting the team at outside events Facilities management - supporting the team coordinator with any facilities operations/purchases To respect confidentiality and to comply with your duty of confidentiality to all stakeholders in the Agency. Ensure all information is stored safely and securely Person Specification Knowledge and Experience Experience of working in an administrative role or customer service environment where multi-tasking and decision-making skills are successfully demonstrated Experience of working with IT systems, data entry and use of Microsoft Office. Demonstrates excellent customer service skills Possesses confident and persuasive professional telephone skills Proven track record in managing a demanding and varied workload Demonstrates understanding of effective teamwork Knowledge and understanding of Social Services, in particular, the provision of services for children Qualifications Achievement of a minimum of two A levels, or equivalent Good range of GCSE passes to include English and Math's Aptitudes and Abilities Good interpersonal skills; effective at quickly establishing and building good working relationships internally and externally, at all levels Self-sufficient and self-motivated with the ability to work independently, recognizing when matters need input from or referral to others Analytical, with high attention to detail and a logical approach to problem-solving Confident user on IT systems including Microsoft Excel. Multitasker who can manage, prioritise and monitor own work Contributes positively to teams, encouraging and facilitating the contribution of others and working sensitively with team colleagues Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively negotiate and influence, especially on the phone Decisive with a determination to rise to the challenge, offering creative solutions to overcome difficulties Disposition Anticipates and responds proactively to problems, knowing when to seek guidance Able to work on own initiative, recognizing when reference needs to be made to others Able to work and make effective decisions under pressure A calm and assured approach to work Well-organized and a clear thinker Able to work individually and as part of a team Resilient Willing to work flexibly and to strict deadlines Able to work on occasion outside of normal office hours
Job Summary We are looking for a bright and articulate team player with excellent IT and interpersonal skills to join our vibrant team. Your role will give you a broad exposure to the workings of a Ofsted rated Outstanding Fostering Agency and Children's Homes. You will need a keen attention to detail, brilliant communication and excellent use of systems including Microsoft Excel. Main Duties and Responsibilities To provide comprehensive administrative support to the Team Coordinator, Senior Management, the Social Work and Residential Teams and Fostering Panel Co-ordinating the collation of HR information required for the recruitment of new staff for Ascent Children Services, including social workers/administrators/residential team/ Form F assessors and Panel Members, staff across the residential and fostering agency. This involves co-ordinating requests for reference checks, DBS etc., medicals and liaising with the Team Coordinator, Social Work team and senior management in relation to the status of these checks Supporting the approval and regular receipt of information required for the registration of Foster Carers. This includes carrying out checks and references for new foster carers and back up foster carers and monitoring returns and recording receipts on Social Care IT systems of both prospective foster carers, foster carers. To coordinate, plan and disseminate appropriate forms for Foster Carers' annual reviews. Ensure dates for reviews are agreed upon within the approval timescales in conjunction with SSWs, IRO, foster carers, LASW and young people.Ensure reports are completed, signed and where necessary ready for presentation to the Panel Disseminate Foster Carer Agreements to carers, ensure correct approval terms are noted and upload returned signed agreement to charms. Assist Team coordinator with the preparation of Fostering Panel meetings, ensure case correspondence is uploaded by deadlines, and circulate notifications to Panel members and SSWs involved with specific Panel meetings. Attend Panel meetings to minute take, liaise with the Panel Chair to agree on final minutes and upload final minutes to Dropbox and Charms. Take minutes of meetings including fostering Panels, team meetings, HR meetings and foster carer support meetings, providing accurate typed records and disseminating records within agreed timescales Data inputting on electronic systems, including the CHARMS, Citation and ClearCare, competent in Microsoft Office (Word/Excel) Training and Social Events - Administer carers and team annual training and social calendar, sending out texts and email notifications and reminders to carers and staff. Coordinating room bookings, sending out advanced training text/email reminder alerts to carers, liaising, with course facilitators and assisting with course correspondence in advance of course, preparing and distribution of carers course notes handouts, process and distribution of carers course certificates, coordinate Ascent Carers team meetings, update carers individual training profiles and course attendance log, arrange catering and refreshments for training sessions, present refreshments and lunches and tidy away after sessions, undertake any other duties required by the Team Coordinator, Senior ManagementTeam and SSW's Support the running of the Office. This includes responding to all telephone/email or in person visitor enquiries respectfully and communicate effectively and appropriately Where necessary support the team with marketing; responding to calls and enquiries, taking applicant details, sending out letters and information packs and assisting the team at outside events Facilities management - supporting the team coordinator with any facilities operations/purchases To respect confidentiality and to comply with your duty of confidentiality to all stakeholders in the Agency. Ensure all information is stored safely and securely Person Specification Knowledge and Experience Experience of working in an administrative role or customer service environment where multi-tasking and decision-making skills are successfully demonstrated Experience of working with IT systems, data entry and use of Microsoft Office. Demonstrates excellent customer service skills Possesses confident and persuasive professional telephone skills Proven track record in managing a demanding and varied workload Demonstrates understanding of effective teamwork Knowledge and understanding of Social Services, in particular, the provision of services for children Qualifications Achievement of a minimum of two A levels, or equivalent Good range of GCSE passes to include English and Math's Aptitudes and Abilities Good interpersonal skills; effective at quickly establishing and building good working relationships internally and externally, at all levels Self-sufficient and self-motivated with the ability to work independently, recognizing when matters need input from or referral to others Analytical, with high attention to detail and a logical approach to problem-solving Confident user on IT systems including Microsoft Excel. Multitasker who can manage, prioritise and monitor own work Contributes positively to teams, encouraging and facilitating the contribution of others and working sensitively with team colleagues Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively negotiate and influence, especially on the phone Decisive with a determination to rise to the challenge, offering creative solutions to overcome difficulties Disposition Anticipates and responds proactively to problems, knowing when to seek guidance Able to work on own initiative, recognizing when reference needs to be made to others Able to work and make effective decisions under pressure A calm and assured approach to work Well-organized and a clear thinker Able to work individually and as part of a team Resilient Willing to work flexibly and to strict deadlines Able to work on occasion outside of normal office hours
Ascent Fostering Agency
Wallington, Surrey
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Finance & HR Manager to join our team. The role will report into the organisation's Finance Director and take on ownership for the day to financial management of the organisation. It's an exciting opportunity within an Ofsted Outstanding organisation which has a clear mission to make a real difference in the life prospects of vulnerable children. Position: Finance Manager Location: Wallington, London Borough of Sutton. Scope for hybrid role but will need to be in the office 4 days per week minimum. Salary: £48,000 - £60,000; pro-rata and depending on experience, Hours: Full or Part-time - working 30 to 37.5 hours per week Closing Date: Monday 26th October 2026 About Ascent Children's Services Ascent Children's Services operates 2 business units both with the same high quality ethos and excellent relationships with Local Authorities and Ofsted: Ascent Fostering Agency which supports 40 therapeutic foster families and children in their care in South London Ascent Family Homes which operates two residential children's home: one for boys and one for girls. A Value Based Organisation We are committed to making Ascent a great place to work and we are underpinned by a strong value based culture. This value based approach is reflected by an Investors in People PLATINUM award. The Role Ascent is recruiting an experienced and highly personable finance professional to underpin the ongoing growth of the organisation. We are looking for someone with excellent finance and IT skills, a high level of attention to detail, strong communication and a passion to support the work that we do. Some of your key responsibilities will include: Maintaining and reconciling our accounting records which are held in Xero. Preparing and presenting monthly management accounts for the senior team. This includes preparing income statements with variance analysis, balance sheet and cash flow forecasts. Management of the payrolls for approximately 70 staff in the organisation including pensions and HMRC contributions and Private Medical Insurance. This involves ensuring accurate information is captured and there are processes in place to capture shift patterns, overtime, absence, maternity etc. You will also manage the relationship with our payroll bureau ensuring it is effective and closely monitored. Cash flow management including overseeing credit control with Local Authorities. Monthly balance sheet and bank reconciliations. Supporting the Business Unit Directors (Fostering and Residential) with cost control and payroll management. Acting as first line contact in managing our billing for utilities, telephone, insurance bills, rates etc. Fixed asset register management. Year end accounts and corporation tax filings. Working with the Finance Director and our external accountants to provide final management accounts and support reconciliation to any final statutory accounts. Acting as the key point of contact for HR (which is outsourced). This includes: Preparing contracts and correspondence and issuing to colleagues to ensure new colleagues are onboarded appropriately and changes or variations to contracts are documented and communicated. working with the Business Unit Directors to ensure holiday and absence management is in place and key documents are held on file. Liaising with Citation regarding employment law queries, handbook updates, and contract amendments. Administering apprentice programme for those workers on training schemes Co-ordinating annual budgeting and 6 monthly reforecasting for the organisation. This involves working with the Finance Director and senior team and co-ordinating the budget/reforecast at line level for monthly reporting. Adhoc analysis and reports are prepared for senior management including reporting of KPIs related outcomes for children and placement stability, carer training and compliance. Line management of a part qualified Assistant Accountant who will support your role About You: You will have a relevant accounting background and/or qualification with an excellent understanding of, and experience of, financial management. You will have experience of managing all aspects of finance including payroll and management accounting. You will have a good working understanding of the basic requirements of HR. Other essential skills/experience include: Organised with a high level of attention to detail. Experience working with cloud based financial recording software such as Xero Track record of overseeing finance and managing budgets Forward thinker who is adept with systems and keen to utilise accounting technologies where we can such as Pleo expense management or Rotacloud integrating time sheet software. An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check Other roles you may have experience of could include; Charity Finance Manager, Head of Finance, Finance Team Leader, Finance Analyst, Senior Finance Manager, Interim Finance Manager, Financial Accounting Manager, Finance Manger etc.
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Finance & HR Manager to join our team. The role will report into the organisation's Finance Director and take on ownership for the day to financial management of the organisation. It's an exciting opportunity within an Ofsted Outstanding organisation which has a clear mission to make a real difference in the life prospects of vulnerable children. Position: Finance Manager Location: Wallington, London Borough of Sutton. Scope for hybrid role but will need to be in the office 4 days per week minimum. Salary: £48,000 - £60,000; pro-rata and depending on experience, Hours: Full or Part-time - working 30 to 37.5 hours per week Closing Date: Monday 26th October 2026 About Ascent Children's Services Ascent Children's Services operates 2 business units both with the same high quality ethos and excellent relationships with Local Authorities and Ofsted: Ascent Fostering Agency which supports 40 therapeutic foster families and children in their care in South London Ascent Family Homes which operates two residential children's home: one for boys and one for girls. A Value Based Organisation We are committed to making Ascent a great place to work and we are underpinned by a strong value based culture. This value based approach is reflected by an Investors in People PLATINUM award. The Role Ascent is recruiting an experienced and highly personable finance professional to underpin the ongoing growth of the organisation. We are looking for someone with excellent finance and IT skills, a high level of attention to detail, strong communication and a passion to support the work that we do. Some of your key responsibilities will include: Maintaining and reconciling our accounting records which are held in Xero. Preparing and presenting monthly management accounts for the senior team. This includes preparing income statements with variance analysis, balance sheet and cash flow forecasts. Management of the payrolls for approximately 70 staff in the organisation including pensions and HMRC contributions and Private Medical Insurance. This involves ensuring accurate information is captured and there are processes in place to capture shift patterns, overtime, absence, maternity etc. You will also manage the relationship with our payroll bureau ensuring it is effective and closely monitored. Cash flow management including overseeing credit control with Local Authorities. Monthly balance sheet and bank reconciliations. Supporting the Business Unit Directors (Fostering and Residential) with cost control and payroll management. Acting as first line contact in managing our billing for utilities, telephone, insurance bills, rates etc. Fixed asset register management. Year end accounts and corporation tax filings. Working with the Finance Director and our external accountants to provide final management accounts and support reconciliation to any final statutory accounts. Acting as the key point of contact for HR (which is outsourced). This includes: Preparing contracts and correspondence and issuing to colleagues to ensure new colleagues are onboarded appropriately and changes or variations to contracts are documented and communicated. working with the Business Unit Directors to ensure holiday and absence management is in place and key documents are held on file. Liaising with Citation regarding employment law queries, handbook updates, and contract amendments. Administering apprentice programme for those workers on training schemes Co-ordinating annual budgeting and 6 monthly reforecasting for the organisation. This involves working with the Finance Director and senior team and co-ordinating the budget/reforecast at line level for monthly reporting. Adhoc analysis and reports are prepared for senior management including reporting of KPIs related outcomes for children and placement stability, carer training and compliance. Line management of a part qualified Assistant Accountant who will support your role About You: You will have a relevant accounting background and/or qualification with an excellent understanding of, and experience of, financial management. You will have experience of managing all aspects of finance including payroll and management accounting. You will have a good working understanding of the basic requirements of HR. Other essential skills/experience include: Organised with a high level of attention to detail. Experience working with cloud based financial recording software such as Xero Track record of overseeing finance and managing budgets Forward thinker who is adept with systems and keen to utilise accounting technologies where we can such as Pleo expense management or Rotacloud integrating time sheet software. An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills Proficient in the use of Microsoft Excel The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check Other roles you may have experience of could include; Charity Finance Manager, Head of Finance, Finance Team Leader, Finance Analyst, Senior Finance Manager, Interim Finance Manager, Financial Accounting Manager, Finance Manger etc.