Fostering Key Worker

WANTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - FOSTERING KEY WORKER (MATERNITY COVER)

Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack

Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.

We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.

( Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)

For further information about this post please contact Shelley Louise Hughes on 07387231667

Interview date to be confirmed.

Application forms and further details available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH

Tel: 01286 679076

E-Mail: Swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

CLOSING DATE: 10.00 AM ON THE 24/02/2025

The Council will request a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service for the successful candidate.

If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.

Children's Services Recruitment Pack (1).pdf

Person Specification

Personal attributes
Essential
Positive attitude towards service users and co-workers

The ability to be creative and imaginative with children and families

Sensitivity

Flexibility

Commitment to working to promoting the welfare of the child.

The ability to work under pressure

Can work individually and as a member of a team

Enthusiasm to learn about and put into action a range of intervention methods

Desirable
-

Qualifications and relevant training
Essential
5 GCSE's grade C or above

Qualification in childhood studies or equivelent (eg Degree, NVQ 3, Diploma in welfare Studies, Child Development)

Desirable
Evidence of relevant personal development through in service training

Experience of working within the socal care sector.

Relevant experience
Essential
The ability and experience of working alone and as a member of a team.

The ability to communicate well.

Working in a creative and positive manner.

The ability to work under pressure.

Experience of working with children, young people families who present with a range of complex needs.

Being able to demonstrate an ability to create rapport and build effective relationships.

Knowledge of safeguarding, childcare legislation, local Child Protection Procedures, and an understanding of child development, parenting capacity and risk and protective factors.

Able to build reflective, supportive, and outcome-focused relationships with individuals from a diverse background.

Experience of planning work in a structured and efficient manner.

Attending and contributing to meetings.

Desirable
Experience of conducting or contributing towards, assessments, care planning and reviews with clients with complex needs.

Knowledge and experience of the support of special Guardians.

Knowledge and understanding of a range of evidence-based approaches including attachment and loss theory, relationship and strength based interventions.

Experience of giving analytical feedback on input and progress in cases

Skills and specialist knowledge
Essential
An awareness of the The Local Authority Fostering Services (Wales) Regulations 2018.

IT skills/ Social Media

Knowledge of children's needs and child development in particular children who have suffered trauma, separation and loss.

Understanding and commitment to anti-discriminatory and anti oppressive practice

The ability to interpret and record events clearly and accurately

Clean, current driving licence

The ability to prepare quality reports in both English and Welsh

The ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing

Evidence of multi-agency awareness and working in parnership

Maintaining supportive relationships with colleagues in social work and external agencies.

Ability to engage with looked after children and their foster carers and maintain relationships.

Collate appropriate information in order to make informed decisions regarding packages of support.

Understanding of the purpose of supervision.

Awareness of professional self-management

Desirable
Experience and knowledge in relation to interventions methods such as parenting, behaviour management, healthy lifestyles, mindfulness.

Experience in marketing.

Language requirements
Listening and Speaking - Intermediate
Able to maintain a fluent conversation on a number of various everyday subjects, and discuss cases involving the field of work.Able to follow a discussion in Welsh, in Clear Welsh, on familiar matters relating to the post. Able to contribute to the conversation and answer questions.

Reading and Understanding - Intermediate
Understand everyday correspondence on familiar issues at work.Understand longer reports in Clear Welsh and be able to pick up the main points. (help may be required with the vocabulary).

Writing - Intermediate
Able to write letters for a specific purpose, e-mails and short reports in Welsh and English, using vocabulary and simple phrases that are familiar to the field of work. (They will need to be checked before being sent out).

Job Description

Purpose of the post
• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.

• The main principle of the Fostering Team is to recruit, assess, review, plan, evaluate and supervise general foster carers and family and friends foster carers

• The post-holder will be responsible, from time to time, for supporting members of the fostering team to supervise the specific cases. Collaborating with members of the children's teams, education department and other agencies that are involved with foster carers.

• Leading on a specific work field within the team, that of special guardians, their support and review.

Responsibility for functions
• The key worker will be guided regarding the intervention required by members of the teams and by the needs of the foster carers/service.in respect of special guardians.

Main duties
• Contributing towards completing an assessment, e.g. risk assessments, health and safety assessments, etc.

• Transferring information from any assessment/intervention or supervision session with foster carers to officers within the team.

• Discussing and referring children/foster carers to the relevant services, be it a public or voluntary service.

• Ensuring that case records are in-putted into WCCIS regularly and that the content is correct and reflects all the contact in relation to the foster carers.

• Working with foster carers and people who are in the process of being assessed, who are open to the service, with the intention of ensuring collaboration and intervention that is in line with the Local Authority Fostering Service (Wales) Regulations 2018.

• As required, there will be a need to provide reports/information for planning meetings and panels. There will be a need to work within the planning system of the Children Act 1989 and in accordance with the Fostering Service's procedures. Reports will be expected to be of a high standard.

• Working in partnership with general foster carers/family and friends foster carers and other professional agencies to enable change in the behaviour and circumstances of families.

• Being flexible, in order to meet the needs of the individual and his/her family. This can involve working outside working hours, if your line manager so requests.

• Playing a lead part in developing a general foster carer recruitment programme in an innovative way, e.g. social media, etc.

• Acting as a representative of the team's duty rota system. This can involve being available to undertake the duties of placement officers on occasions.

• Participating in regular team meetings and individual supervision sessions.

• Being responsible for professional development and taking part in development programmes and training provided by the TTG.

• Promoting values and acting in a non-discriminatory way toward colleagues and service users.

• Being responsible in relation with the Health and Safety at Work Act and to respond to fire regulations.

• Responsibility for self-development.

• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council's Health and Safety Policy.

• Operate within the Council's policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.

• Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council's information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

• Commitment to reducing the Council's carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council's Carbon Footprint.

• Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.

• Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special circumstances
• The ability to work flexible hours is essential to this post, it also includes working evenings and at weekends.