Job Ref: 214683830

Date: 2021-09-17 08:41:43

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Fostering Advisor – days per week 21 hours per week

Salary: £19,00 – £22,000 pro-rata

Benefits: 30 days' Annual Leave (increasing to 35 days' with length of service) + Bank Holidays, Company Pension, Life Assurance, Employee Discount Scheme & Medical Cash Plan (all benefits to be pro-rata'd)

Location: Milton Keynes

About Us

Set up in 1987 by a small but passionate group of Foster Parents, we became the UK's first independent Foster Care agency. That gives us the benefit of over 30 years' of fostering experience and we're still going strong!

The founder members recognised that looked after children – especially those who’d had very difficult starts in life – needed specialist support. So right from the beginning they put the child at the centre of their thinking and surrounded them with an integrated range of support services. In fact, that's what ISP means: Integrated Service Programme.

Over time, this circle of support has increased to include a whole range of professionals that children and foster parents can tap into, whenever they need to. This includes social workers, fostering advisors, teachers and therapists, who all work with our foster parents and the children they look after, helping them understand and manage even the most challenging situations. This is what’s known as a ‘therapeutic approach’ to fostering and it’s something that we pioneered.

What we are looking for

Like our children, Foster Parents need support, encouragement and practical advice and sometimes just someone to listen.

The Fostering Advisors in our teams are key to all of the support required to our Foster Parents and this critical role will be accountable for regularly visiting Foster Parents, offering advice and information regarding all the services and support available to them at ISP, Including matching considerations, respite, training, supervised contact, and transportation.

What you will need

* Understanding of Fostering regulations and standards i.e. the Children’s Act & Fostering Service National Minimum Standards

* Some first-hand knowledge or experience of Fostering, ideally as a Foster Parent or as part of a Fostering family

* Intermediate IT skills to include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint) and experience of using spreadsheets and databases

* Commitment to developing positive working relationships with other staff, outside agencies, our Children & Young People and Foster Parents

* A full driving licence, unrestricted access to your own vehicle and confidence driving across the region

For an informal discussion about the post please contact Jane Partridge on (phone number removed)

To be considered for this position, please do apply and someone will be in touch to discuss.

Due to COVID some interviews at this time will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams and all appointments managed pragmatically in-line with individual and company needs.

If face to face interviews do take place all candidates and interview panel will be required to lateral flow test before hand

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