About The Service
Cardiff is part of the national network of 22 Welsh Local Authority fostering services and working together to build better futures for local children.
Finding more local foster carers can give children a family home environment rather than residential care, stay local rather than moving far away from everything that’s familiar.
About the job
Recruitment Support Officer - Fostering
You could help us increase the number of foster carers for children in Cardiff.
Local people interested in becoming a foster carer want to talk to someone who can answer their questions and understand their way of life. As the Fostering Recruitment Support Officer, using your knowledge of children and the local area, you can reassure and share real stories of children in care (especially if you’ve already worked within social services, been a foster carer, care experienced or been part of a fostering family) and can explain things concisely in an easy-to-understand way, without jargon.
A warm friendly welcome can make all the difference, to people who might be talking themselves out of fostering. Your support, a friendly face and a chat could be the difference in finding more foster carers for children in Cardiff. As the first point of contact for our Foster Wales Cardiff team, you can guide people on their journey to be great foster carers.
Key responsibilities as Fostering Recruitment Officer will include:
- supporting Foster Wales Cardiff in the delivery of best practice for foster care enquiries in the local authority
- managing all fostering recruitment enquiries and be the dedicated point of contact for potential foster carers including processing new enquiries, completion of home visits and initial visits prior to full assessment
- raising awareness of fostering locally including coordinating local recruitment events and activities
- supporting the function of the fostering team in following guidelines to process and prepare fostering applicants in a timely and professional manner.
- effectively managing information regarding fostering enquiries and applications
- supporting the retention of mainstream foster carers
What We Are Looking For From You
We are looking for a person who:
- is motivated, organised and methodical
- can make a good first impression via phone, email or in person,
- can make people feel that they’ve chosen the right people/team/organisation to foster with and to trust their family with.
- is a real people person with the ability to listen and build a relationship with, encouraging people from all backgrounds (who may feel judged or daunted), to relax, be themselves and keep a conversation going.
Having a flexible working pattern, whether that’s sometimes at home, in the office or out about meeting people face to face within Cardiff, you’ll be available - to ask the silly things to. You can take the time to talk, without any pressure – we don’t do pushy sales techniques.
In return:
As well as joining a friendly and supportive team, you will contribute towards making a difference to the young people’s lives we work with. You will also receive the following benefits package:
- Cardiff promotes a good work life balance, flexibility and autonomy to support your own family / work life balance
- Offer of hybrid working
- Support for the health and wellbeing of employees
- Credit of flexi time / toil
- An automatic entitlement to the excellent and secure Local Government Pension Scheme
- A generous annual leave entitlement
- Continuous professional development and access to training
- Cycle to work scheme
- Work with Team Managers and colleagues who are passionate to achieve best outcomes for young people
Additional information
This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced check.
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.
This vacancy is suitable for post share.
We welcome applications in both English and Welsh. Applications received in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than English applications.
Due to the current interim working arrangements, we are unable to provide recruitment packs or accept application forms via the post.
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. If you have any concerns around your ability to participate in a virtual interview process please contact Laura.white3@cardiff.gov.uk for a discussion.
Please note the Council does not accept CV’s. When completing the supporting information section of your application, please ensure you refer to the below located on our website:
Important information you need read in order to complete your application:-
Additional Information:-
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