Eastern Fostering Services

Job Title: Supervising Social Worker Location: East Bergholt Office, with travel across the EFS geography Reports to: Fostering Team Manager / Registered Manager Hours: Full Time (35 hours per week) About Us Eastern Fostering Services is a therapeutic, child-centred Independent Fostering Agency rated Outstanding by Ofsted. We are committed to securing stable, healing, and lasting placements for children who have experienced trauma, loss, and adversity. We work within a trauma-informed framework and prioritise relationship-based practice to achieve the best outcomes for our children and young people. Job Purpose As a Supervising Social Worker, you will play a critical role in supporting and supervising foster carers who provide therapeutic placements to children with complex needs. You will ensure that every child is safeguarded, supported, and enabled to thrive, in line with the Fostering Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Standards. Key Responsibilities 1. Support and Supervision Provide reflective, trauma-informed supervision to foster carers at least monthly (and more frequently as needed). Promote therapeutic parenting and emotional attunement in line with the agency's therapeutic ethos (e.g. PACE, Dyadic Developmental Practice), promoting an understanding the adaptive behaviours that children can develop and display. Deliver individualised support to carers to promote placement stability, resilience, and child development. Ensure that foster carers understand the overall aims of Eastern Fostering Services and follow agency policy and procedures. 2. Child-Centred Practice Ensure children's voices are heard, understood, and acted upon. Children and young people to be seen away from their foster carers on a regular basis. Monitor children's emotional wellbeing, safety, and placement progress through direct and indirect work. Participate in and contribute to multi-agency meetings such as Looked After Child (LAC) reviews, Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings, and Strategy/CP meetings. Tailor your approach with children according to their understanding, communication abilities and preferred method of communication. 3. Compliance and Quality Maintain clear, evidence-based, and timely records in accordance with Ofsted and agency requirements, using EFS Intuitive Care database. Complete carer annual household reviews, contribute to panel recommendations, and follow any resulting support plans through. Support and evidence carers' compliance with fostering regulations and standards of care 4. Foster Carer Development Contribute to the delivery of pre-approval Preparation to Foster training and ongoing development sessions for approved carers. Identify and respond to foster carers' training needs in line with their Personal and Professional Development Plans. Facilitate or co-facilitate support groups and reflective practice sessions. 5. Placement Management Support effective matching of children with foster carers. Regularly review and risk-assess placement suitability, taking prompt action to prevent disruptions. Undertake unannounced visits to fostering family homes. Work closely with our therapist and participation staff to promote holistic care for each child. 6. General Duties Assist in the positive promotion of the agency and recruitment of prospective foster carers. Undertake Form F assessments of prospective foster carers if caseload allows. Facilitate and participate in a range of group activities, such as foster carer support groups, holiday activities and children's participation groups. Act as a professional and positive representative of the agency at all times. Adhere to the company policy on learning and development and ensure all mandatory training is completed within expected timeframes. Adhere to the company Equal Opportunities policy and work towards an ethos where everyone is treated with respect, dignity and equality. Adhere to Health and Safety Policies Essential Criteria Qualified Social Worker (DipSW, CQSW, BA, MA or equivalent) Registered with Social Work England Minimum 1-2 years' post-qualification experience working with children and families (preferably in fostering or looked after children services) An understanding of attachment, developmental trauma, and therapeutic parenting approaches, or the enthusiasm and motivation to learn Excellent recording, assessment, and report-writing skills Able to work flexibly (including occasional evenings/weekends) and participate in an out-of-hours rota Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle Desirable Criteria Experience in a therapeutic fostering environment or trauma-informed setting Knowledge of Ofsted's Social Care Inspection Framework and expectations for fostering agencies Experience with fostering panel processes and carer assessments Additional training in therapeutic models (e.g. PACE, DDP)