Senior Social Work Assistant - Family & Friends Service

About us and the role:

It has never been a more exciting time to work for Birmingham Children’s Trust’s Family and Friends Service, as we continue our progressive journey to implement improvements for our children, kinship carers as well as our dedicated workforce. We have recently been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted and strive to be an outstanding fostering service.

This is a Senior Social Work Assistant role based in one of the three Kinship Assessment Teams. Our specialist assessment teams are responsible for assessing relatives or friends to care for children & young people, when their own parents are not able to; supporting the Trust’s commitment to the importance for children to remain within their families throughout their childhood.

As a Senior Social Work Assistant in the service, you will be responsible for supporting the work completed within your social work team; which will include:

• Contacting potential Connected Persons Foster Carers / Special Guardians to introduce yourself/the service and talk through the stage one checks & references required as part of the full kinship assessment. It will also be necessary to be able to give an overview of the assessment process, why this is taking place and what will be expected from applicants.
• Being confident in using electronic systems (CHARMS, Eclipse, spreadsheets etc) to keep records up to date and be able to communicate with people using a variety of different methods.
• Working alongside and communicating effectively with Social Workers and other professionals across the Trust including child care social workers, legal representatives, GP’s and the medical advisor.
• To meet with potential applicants and help them complete paperwork, check ID for the purpose of DBS checks and to ensure people have the correct paperwork and understand the process for requesting a full adult medical with their GP.
• To support social workers within the service to complete the full kinship assessment; this may include completing one to one sessions with applicants, or supporting with other documentation (i.e. health & safety checklist, safer care agreement, chronologies etc). 

Do you have experience and a background of direct work with vulnerable children, young people and their families within a children’s or family placement setting?

Do you have knowledge and an understanding of children’s legislation and processes particularly in fostering issues, coupled with the knowledge and understanding of the permanency needs of children from complex backgrounds? 

Do you possess strong administration and IT skills, as your time will be split between office-based tasks and work in the community, visiting families. 

Key effective communication and positive relationship skills are essential, as well as clear, concise record keeping, in a timely, accurate manner, applying your time management and organisational skills. 

Do you have the ability to work effectively with colleagues and other agencies; solve problems, negotiate and make decisions are also a necessity to be able to support the social work team?

To find out more about the Trust please visit our website birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk

To find out more about our other financial offer and amazing rewards and benefits click HERE

To find out more about Birmingham as a place to live click HERE

If you would like to know more about the role and Family and Friends Service  please contact:

Natasha Al-mossili –Team Manager, Family and Friends Assessment 

[email protected] – Tel: 07703 373371     

Michael Sally – Team Manager, Family and Friends Assessment

[email protected] – Tel: 07510 369796         

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 4^th February 2025.  

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.