Casual Assessment Social Worker - Foster For East Midlands Fostering

Salary: £24.71 per hour
Location: Derby City, Derbyshire, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire area
Hours: 0 hours per week
Contract Type: Casual
DBS Requirement: Yes

The Opportunity
Foster for East Midlands Councils is looking for passionate and experienced Children's Social Workers to join our team of Casual Fostering Assessing Social Workers.

Every fostering assessment has the potential to change a child's life. By undertaking high-quality assessments of prospective foster carers, you will play a vital role in helping more children and young people find safe, stable and nurturing homes where they can thrive.

Paid at £24.71 per hour (maximum payment of £2,471 pre-tax), with pay for all hours worked on assessments that end early (such as when applicants are unsuitable). Mileage will be paid in accordance with Derby City Council’s mileage policy. Within D2N2, you will be paid from home to the applicant’s address.

Successful applicants will be offered a Derby City Council Casual Contract for this role, with any assignments (assessments) accepted being delivered on behalf of Foster for East Midlands Councils.

What you’ll be doing
You will be supported every step of the way with:
• Regular case supervision from an assessment team Manager for FFEMC
• A comprehensive guidance pack
• Training and support sessions
• Access to the Fostering National Minimum Standards and assessment tools

About you
Whether you have prior fostering experience or transferable assessment skills, this is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children in care, all whilst developing your own practice.
• This opportunity is open to all practising Children’s Social Workers
• Applicants must hold a Social Work degree and be registered with Social Work England
• You must have permission from current line manager prior to applying (if this is a second role)

Time commitment:
• Each assessment is expected to take no more than 100 hours, and we expect your commitment to see an assessment through to the end should it be positive (Assessments will only be ended early in agreement with the Team Manager)
• Some assessments may need more that 8 assessment visits due to complexities, this will be agreed by the Team Manager and the hours claimed should not exceed 100
• Your time will include visit preparation time, travel time, assessment sessions (usually around 2 hours each visit) and write up time, including time taken to undertake and write up references / other paperwork related to the assessment
• It is expected that assessment visits will take place at least fortnightly (usually weekly) to ensure no drift, unless agreed by the Team Manager within supervision
• All mainstream assessments should be completed within 6 months (ideally sooner) and all IFA transfers will take place within 4 months

Who We Are
At Derby City Council, we're proud to deliver over 250 essential services that support our residents, communities and businesses. Guided by our vision to create anInclusive, Green, Growing and Vibrant City, we put people at the heart of everything we do.

Our values shape how we work every day. We believe in Great People, One Team, we're Bold in embracing change, Strong in delivering for our communities, and We Care about making a positive difference.

Join us and you'll be part of an ambitious, collaborative organisation where you can develop your career while helping to shape Derby's future.

Why join Derby City Council?
At Derby City Council, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference while building a rewarding career in an organisation that values, supports and invests in its people.
Alongside the opportunity to help shape the future of Derby, you'll benefit from a comprehensive range of employee benefits, including:

Financial Benefits
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) – a secure, defined benefit pension with life cover
• Team Derby Rewards – discounts across a wide range of retail, leisure and lifestyle brands
• Tusker Car Benefit Scheme – a salary sacrifice scheme for leasing a brand-new, fully maintained and insured vehicle
Work-Life Balance
• Generous annual leave, starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days after five years' service (plus bank holidays, depending on your contract)
• The option to purchase additional annual leave
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements for many roles
• Flexible retirement options, where eligible
• Support for colleagues with caring responsibilities
Learning and Development
• Learning and development opportunities, with regular career conversations to support your growth
• Leadership and management development programmes, mentoring and professional qualifications
• Modern workspaces designed to support collaboration, productivity and wellbeing
Health and Wellbeing
• Employee Assistance Programme, wellbeing support and a year-round wellbeing calendar
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Cycle2Work Scheme and free cycle training
Community and Inclusion
• Up to 15 hours of volunteering leave each year
• Recognition through initiatives including the Here for Derby Awards and Long Service Awards
• The opportunity to join one of our Employee Networks, including LGBTQ+, Disabled Employees and Carers, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Employees, and Neurodiversity

At Derby City Council, we believe our people are our greatest strength. Whatever stage you're at in your career, you'll be joining an inclusive organisation where you'll be supported to develop, feel valued and make a meaningful difference to the communities we serve.

Some benefits are dependent on your role, contract or length of service.

How to apply
If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit an expression of interest to the Team Managers Jade Louth - jade.louth@fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk and Rochelle Wallace - rochelle.wallace@fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk.

Your expression of interest should be no more than 2 sides of A4 and it should detail your suitability for the post, based on the requirements of the Job Description and Person Specification.

All expressions of interest are shortlisted using the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Important Information
Link to the full Job Description and Person Specification are available below.

Where a DBS requirement is indicated at the top of this advert, the successful candidate will be subject to the appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of our safer recruitment process.

Where a Market Rate Supplement is indicated at the top of this advert, it is paid in addition to the basic salary and is subject to regular review. The supplement may be reduced or withdrawn and will reduce in line with incremental progression and pay awards.

The Council has a legal obligation to consider suitable redeployment opportunities for employees at risk of redundancy. Consequently, this vacancy may be withdrawn before the advertised closing date if it is filled through the Council's redeployment process.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Derby City Council, we're committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and can thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we serve.

As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can choose to apply through our Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

We are also proud to hold the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, recognising our commitment to supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families. Members of the Armed Forces community, veterans and their close family members who meet the essential criteria are also eligible for our Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, including during your application, interview or onboarding, we'll work with you to provide the support you need.

If you have any questions about this vacancy or need assistance with your application, please contact the Recruitment Team on 01332 640844 (Relay UK: 18001 01332 640844) or email recruitmentteam@derby.gov.uk.

Please see here for Job Description & Person Specification
Please see here for DBS Code of Conduct