Supervising Social Worker Recruitment Lead

The role is responsible for the successful recruitment of new St. Christopher's foster carers, proactively building excellent relationships with potential fostering applicants & guiding them through the assessment & approval process. The role will proactively lead on the recruitment strategy for a given region but the postholder may have to work across other regions as required by workflows. The postholder will deliver an increased number of fostering households through a targeted approach, enabling the recruitment and assessment of foster carers who can meet the needs of St. Christopher's looked after children.

• BA or Master's in social work or Dip SW, CSS, CQSW.
• Social Work England/Scottish Social Services Council/Social Care Wales Registration.
• Post qualifying experience which should include at least 2 years in relevant family placement work or post qualifying experience in other childcare settings.
• A proven track record in working with and on behalf of children and foster families, using a trauma-informed therapeutic approach.
• Experience of group work and/or delivery of training.
• Assessment of Foster Carers, using BAAF Competency Based Form F.
• Knowledge or relevant experience of recruitment and campaign/project delivery for foster carers.
• Knowledge of prospective carer assessment and the journey of a prospective foster carer.
• A good working knowledge of relevant legislation including Children's Act 1989 and related regulations and guidance such as Every Child Matters, Working Together; Assessment Framework For Children In Need; Care Standards Act 2000; Understanding of the role of children's social workers; knowledge of the role of other agencies in particular, health and education; knowledge of the growth and development of children.
Experience of working with the public and engaging a wide range of community group and organisations.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man. We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do. We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home., Founded in 1870, St Christopher's Fellowship has provided care for vulnerable children and young people for over 140 years. Drawing on our broad experience, we help build brighter futures for young people across the UK and in the Isle of Man. Through our children's homes and fostering services we are able to provide stable, effective placements for young people, providing them with a safe, caring community in which they can learn to build positive relationships. We also work in partnership with local authorities to offer accomodation for 16 to 25 year-olds, supporting them to develop emotional and practical skills and so easing their transition into adult life. The principles of social pedagogy shape our philosophy of care. Put simply, this is a holistic approach that centres around building positive relationships with young people to bring out their full potential or "their diamond". We use the "heads, hearts, hands" principles which stress the importance of relationships, respect and reflection. Our vision is to deliver excellence. To achieve this we seek to attract and retain the very best staff, and we are committed to creating a friendly, supportive work environment where your skills are developed and appreciated. Working for St Christopher's will be both challenging and rewarding; it will demand high standards of professionalism and teamwork, but will make a qualitative difference to the lives of vulnerable young people.


• Salary up to £44,654 depending on experience.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years' service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry Leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children's right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and Social Pedagogy,
• Contributory pension scheme, Enhanced Maternity and Company Sick Scheme.
• BUPA Employee Assistance Programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Interest-free season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme.
• Discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary Funded Training Programs.
• Employee Awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.
Recruitment Process At St Christopher's we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements. Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.