Initial Fostering Assessment Officer

We are seeking a talented and enthusiastic individual for this fantastic opportunity; to become part of the Fostering Recruitment and Assessment Team. The fostering customer service officer is often the first person involved in the recruitment of new foster families for children in our care, to ensure there are enough fostering homes in Walsall Council when they are needed.

The focus of your remit will be to source people who are ready to foster, through a wide range of methods, and move those who are suitable through to application, including ensuring the required workflow and stages are signed off and take place at the relevant points in the process, making this a really varied and rewarding role. The majority of enquiries are currently generated through the council website, and from face-to-face recruitment events. you will share responsibility for planning and managing events with support from The Marketing Officer, Recruitment and Assessment Team, Team Manager and the wider fostering service, and be out in communities attending or even hosting events. Some of these community events will be in the evenings and weekends.

You will respond to all viable enquiries with urgency, via phone or email to answer questions and discuss the role of a foster carer, establishing their interest and suitability to move to an initial home visit (IHV), Once you have completed this in line with a set process, you will pass the details to the fostering team manager to review operationally and if approved, allocate for assessment. You will keep things moving quickly through all stages and keep the applicant engaged and motivated, until the allocated assessing social worker takes this over.

You will be encouraged to meet our foster carers and some of them may be able to assist in recruitment events attracting or referring others. You will have some experience and knowledge of fostering, be that through having been a foster carer yourself (or have close links to someone who has), worked as a supervising social worker or held another related role in a social care organisation. You will expand this knowledge by collaborative working with relevant corporate and services, colleagues, the fostering team and our existing foster carers and by networking with professional bodies and conducting your own research

You will need to be a driver with your own vehicle, for which a monthly mileage will be claimed back through expenses.

You must have good communication skills and be able to communicate with a diverse group of families that reflect the borough of Walsall., This post is covered by the Government's Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

Here at Walsall, we want to attract the best talent. That's why - as well as a satisfying and rewarding job - we offer a range of attractive benefits. Working arrangements in most jobs are flexible (you may work flexitime, full or part time and job sharing is usually available) and you can expect generous holiday entitlements, a first class pension scheme and plenty of opportunities for training and personal development., Part of the Black Country, famous for its enterprising and industrial past, Walsall is reinventing itself to become a progressive modern community. The borough is centred around the major town of Walsall, but also includes five smaller and distinctive district centres (Bloxwich, Aldridge, Willenhall, Darlaston and Brownhills), together with numerous villages.

Find out more about Living in Walsall.

Walsall Council is committed to Safer Recruitment.

To achieve our commitment, we will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce.

Social Work Matters - Children's Social Worker Recruitment