Shropshire Council is seeking an experienced and motivated Supervising Social Worker to join their Kinship Team, supporting kinship foster carers to provide safe, nurturing and high‑quality care for children.
This is a rewarding role focused on empowerment, relationship‑based practice, and ensuring children in kinship arrangements can thrive.
Working Arrangements: Hybrid
Key Responsibilities
- Provide regular supervision, guidance and emotional support to foster carers.
- Promote safe, stable and therapeutic care using a trauma‑informed approach.
- Empower carers to meet the diverse needs of the children in their care.
- Identify and address any barriers to carers' training and development.
- Promote secure, nurturing placements where children's wellbeing and identity are central.
- Support children's education, emotional health and overall development.
- Contribute to the Council's ambition for aspirational, high‑quality foster care.
- Maintain regular visits to fostering households.
- Support carers to grow in their role and maintain safe care arrangements.
- Monitor the home environment and track children's progress.
- Ensure fostering households comply with all regulations and standards.
- Demonstrate strong understanding of fostering legislation and statutory guidance.
- Apply National Minimum Standards (NMS) and Fostering Regulations in practice.
- Provide robust safeguarding, compliance and quality assurance oversight.
- Support the stability of fostering arrangements through timely and effective support.
- Work collaboratively with adoption teams, IFAs, education, CAMHS and partner agencies.
- Assist in managing capacity pressures and supporting transitions between services
- Contribute to service improvement initiatives and support team engagement events.
- Work collaboratively with managers to strengthen the fostering service.
Key Skills & Requirements
- Qualified Social Worker
- Registered with Social Work England
- 3+ years' post‑qualifying experience
- Ability to assess, analyse and manage risk
- Good knowledge of fostering legislation, safeguarding and statutory guidance
- Confident multi‑agency working
- Ability to work independently and use professional judgement
If you're an experienced social worker with a passion for supporting families - and you meet the above criteria - we'd love to hear from you. This could be the perfect next step in your career.
