Job Introduction
Our Fostering service is a large and busy team responsible for the recruitment, assessment, support, and supervision of foster carers and for placing children and young people with them. We also assess and support kinship carers, oversee private fostering arrangements and advise and support special guardians.
We have a rewarding role for an enthusiastic Duty Social Work Assistant to join our Fostering service within Children’s Social Care. You’ll be the first point of contact for the fostering service, answering enquiries from current and potential foster carers and professionals, and helping to match children and young people with carers.
You’ll have good customer service skills and will be able to communicate difficult issues with clarity and sensitivity. It’s even better if you’ve worked or volunteered previously with children, young people and families, though this isn’t essential.
Milton Keynes City Council is a great place to work, with a competitive benefits package including a secure pension, support for career development, and the potential for home working depending on the needs of the role.
Main Responsibility
- Deliver the Fostering Placement duty system in collaboration with qualified social workers. You’ll respond to incoming telephone queries and be responsible for identifying placements, managing requests for them, and liaising with payments to ensure accurate records are maintained of placement start and end dates.
- Arrange necessary resources to address requests from foster carers and social workers for day-care/respite/transport support required.
- Work directly with children, young people and their families, including carers, providing advice, guidance and practical and emotional support, as part of a clear plan.
- Support fostering events with children and carers.
- Ensure all work and interactions are clearly recorded on LCS, in line with Children’s Social Care policies.
- Work closely with social workers, other agencies and services in a cooperative and holistic way, sharing information and planning care together, to meet the needs of the children, young people and their families and carers.
- Ensure all interactions are delivered in an anti-oppressive manner ensuring equal opportunities are always promoted.
The Ideal Candidate
- Knowledge of the work of Children’s Social Care and its legislative responsibilities, theory and methodology and previous experience of voluntary or paid work with children, young people and families.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and able to articulate difficult issues with sensitivity and clarity. Ability to record interactions with service users in an appropriate and timely manner adhering to the City Council’s recording policy.
- Ability to analyse, summarise and write/record relevant information clearly and concisely so that it is easily understood by users and colleagues.
- Ability to question, challenge, solve problems and complete tasks.
- Able to understand risks, give advice, observe and report concerns in a balanced way without delay. Able in consultation with a manager to make considered decisions, analyse and evaluate information in situations that may have risks attached to them, including when working alone.
- Able to manage own work, prioritise, plan and use time efficiently, and work as part of a team with children and families including working co-operatively with other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of the child.
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes City Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates of 18.8%.
- 28 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 32 days after 5 years.
- Holiday Purchase Scheme.
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme.
- Health Cashplan.
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- Blue Light Card - Employees working within Social Care can qualify for a range of discounts from national retailers to local businesses in a wide range of categories including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and much more!
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles).
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs).
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements.
- Childcare Subsidy.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes is a diverse, welcoming, and expanding place, built on smart ideas with even bigger plans for the future. We have world class attractions, beautiful open spaces, and a great standard of living.
Milton Keynes City Council is one of the largest employers in the region, making a difference every day for local people. We’re responsible for all local government services in MK including education, housing, highways, and social services - around 240 services in all.
Our values are to be dedicated, respectful, and collaborative. If this sounds like you, join us for a stimulating and fulfilling career measured on results, and a rewarding work-life balance.
