Job: Business Support Officer – Foster Carers
Job Location: Gloucester or Lancaster
Responsible to: Business Support Team Leader
Hours per Week: 30
What we believe
Our Vision
A world where all children and young people grow up in families rich in the essential ingredients required for them to realise their ambitions and dreams.
Our Mission
To create environments, enrich families and harness communities that enable Children and Young People to overcome adversity and abuse, by creating an enduring sense of belonging. By doing this and by working together, we will have the courage to overcome barriers, through tenacity and creativity we will release their potential.
Main Responsibilities
· To administer the organisation’s placement and referral management process including
o Ensuring the referrals inbox is covered by creating a rota and identifying gaps
o Ensuring all referrals are logged on Charms
o Use the organisation’s shortlisting criteria to filter referrals
o Send referrals that meet shortlisting criteria to relevant Supervising Social Workers
o Make appropriate recordings on Charms
o Collate and format foster carer profile formats
o Co-ordinate effective referral responses, through the finalising of expressions of interest.
o Follow up outcome with foster carers.
o Ensure all open referrals are followed up
o Ensure all upcoming vacancies are ‘match ready’
o Develop relationships with LA commissioning teams
· Work with Senior Leadership Team to develop this process and ensure the organisation is best placed to make quality expressions of interest.
· To ensure a process is in place so that this process is always active.
· Proactively working to Ensure all Foster Carer Statutory checks are up to date. Identifying any gaps and escalating within organisation policy
· To take an organisational lead for Foster Carer training. Creating a training calendar in conjunction with both Registered Managers, organising the training and administering attendance.
· To oversee Foster Carers PDP’s, ensuring these are up to date and Foster Carers are meeting their requirements
· To perform PA functions for the Senior Leadership Team, to include managing diaries, organising meetings, booking travel, taking notes and compiling minutes, etc.
· Ensure all Foster Carers receive birthday cards
· Cover the referrals inbox on a rota system
What we require from all our employees
A commitment and alignment with Community Foster Care’s Values.
A tenacity and commitment to resolve and develop our ability to enable children to thrive.
A willingness to embrace challenge and actively seek constructive feedback.
A willingness and ability to be a highly functioning team player.
A willingness to work in a flexible way, to cover additional tasks where required, not specifically covered in the job description.
A commitment to anti-oppressive practice, underpinned by an understanding and promotion of equality and diversity.
Positively promote and publicise the work of the Community Foster Care.
Always represent Community Foster Care in a professional manner.
Act as a communication champion to ensure that all staff are well informed about developments and have a clear understanding of issues.
Undertake training and development deemed necessary for the pursuance and development of the post.
Comply with Equal Opportunities, GDPR and employment practices.
It is the nature of the work of Community Foster Care, that tasks and responsibilities are unpredictable and varied. All staff are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises where tasks are not specifically covered in the Job Description and have to be undertaken.
Community Foster Care is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service clearance at enhanced level.
CVs will not be accepted in any circumstances; all applicants must complete an application form.
The application form can be downloaded below.