About The Service
An exciting opportunity has arisen thanks to the creation of a new national role ‘Head of Foster Wales’. This post provides national co-ordination and leadership for Foster Wales, the new Wales wide collaboration for local authority fostering.
Foster Wales brings together all 22 local authority fostering services under a single brand for recruitment and retention purposes and seeks to embed a culture of continuous service improvement. We believe that by sharing expertise and working together we can raise the profile of local authority fostering in Wales, increase the number of foster families available to children who need them and make best use of the extensive network of knowledge and experience in our sector. Together, we can be greater than the sum of our parts.
About the job
We’re looking for a dedicated leader who can inspire and mentor stakeholders across Wales, someone with in-depth knowledge of the fostering sector and the legislation which underpins this specialism area. We need a strategic thinker with excellent project management skills and proven ability to analyse, monitor and report on performance management information.
Relationships are critical to the success of Foster Wales. The Head of Foster Wales will be responsible for engaging with a variety of stakeholders, these include Welsh Government officials, Heads of Children’s Services, elected Members and external agencies. For Foster Wales to achieve its intended outcomes, the post holder will be expected to develop excellent working relationships with every local authority fostering service in Wales.
The role provides direct leadership to six Regional Development Managers and works with the National Marketing Manager to lead six Regional Marketing Officers. The ability to co-ordinate, engage and uphold a solution focused approach is vital. The role manages national contracts and finance as well as ensuring that governance arrangements work well.
What We Are Looking For From You
You will have proven ability to inspire and lead service development and improvement as well as detailed knowledge and experience of public sector fostering services. You will be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the needs of Welsh fostering services.
Alongside this you will have well developed abilities to build effective working relationships and influence stakeholders at operational, strategic and political levels. The ability to maintain and embed their commitment is key.
You will be creative and forward thinking as well as have experience of leading staff and successfully co-ordinating their energy and initiative to meet aspirational service needs and fulfil development plans.
The role requires a dynamic, energetic self-starter with a strong commitment to fostering services and a desire to put those skills to good use in creating a positive social impact in Wales.
If you share our passion to ensure that local authority fostering is the best that it can be, and want to make a huge difference to the futures of children in Wales, we'd like to hear from you.
If you would like an informal conversation about this role prior to application or you have any concerns around your ability to participate in a virtual interview process, please contact the current Programme Manager, Sarah Thomas, saraht-afacymru@stdavidscs.org
or Suzanne Griffiths, Director, suzanne.griffiths2@cardiff.gov.uk to discuss
Additional information
The post will be part of a national team which supports and enables the Wales wide functions of both Foster Wales and the National Adoption Service for Wales. Cardiff Council hosts these arrangements and staff are employed by Cardiff.
This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service Standard/Enhanced checks.
Safeguarding and Child Protection are key priorities for the Council. We aim to support children and vulnerable adults to ensure they are as safe as they can possibly be. Our services and schools are committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all children and vulnerable adults, and will take action to safeguard their well-being, and acknowledge that children and vulnerable adults have a right to protection. This is supported in the general ethos of the Council and all schools.
Due to the current COVID-19 circumstances the interview process for this role will be held on a virtual basis using an appropriate online platform.
The formal interview will be on Thursday October 28th
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