Family Finding Senior Social Worker

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to providing outstanding care and support to children and families across Birmingham. Our mission is to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe, nurturing environment.

You will be joining Adoption & Fostering Family Finding Team 1, a passionate, experienced and dedicated Team that is part of a dynamic and innovative Regional Adoption Agency, Adopt Birmingham. The agency is also registered as a Voluntary Adoption Agency.

We are seeking a Family Finding Senior Social Worker who will be responsible for identifying suitable families for children with adoption or long term fostering plans. We are committed to finding internal adopters and foster carers for our Birmingham children, but we also work nationally with external Adoption and Fostering Agencies to avoid delay and to ensure we find the right permanent matches for children.

You will work closely with the team around the child, to assess each child’s permanence and support needs. You will have a lead responsibility for coordinating and chairing professionals’ meetings to plan and progress children’s permanence matches. This role includes working directly with the child and supporting relevant professionals and carers to enable each child to have a successful transition to their new family.

We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

About you:

• To undertake family finding for specific children requiring permanent families via the Directorate’s Resources and via external resources. Where appropriate it may be necessary to feature children within the wider press.
• To work with other Local Authorities and external Adoption and Fostering Agencies to secure the appropriate permanence placement of children.
• To develop good working liaison with colleagues in the Directorate and to act as an adviser on adoption and fostering issues where appropriate. This includes working with Legal Services and Children’s Social Workers on a regular basis.
• To participate in formulating and implementing children’s Care Plans, Adoption and Fostering Support Plans, Matching and Placement Reports and Placement Plans for children requiring permanent families.
• To comply with BCT Safeguarding Policy and undertake to report, follow up and respond to any safeguarding issues for children as they arise.
• To provide statements to Court and the necessary matching and family finding reports to Adoption Panels, External Funding Teams and Heads of Adoption and Fostering Service, and when required to attend Court or Panel.
• To comply with Adoption and Fostering Standards and Regulations and those standards and timescales set by the Adoption and Fostering Service (including the Statement of Purpose and Business Plan).
• To facilitate, chair and plan meetings, including Professionals Meetings, Matching and Support Meetings and Transitions and Placement Planning Meetings
• Are you committed to professional learning and development and willing to adhere to Birmingham Children’s Trust values?

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. Birmingham is widely recognised as one of the UK’s most diverse cities; Birmingham Children’s Trust celebrates that diversity in many different ways and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We therefore seek to increase the diversity of our staff group, to reflect the children and families we work with. We actively deliver services that are culturally responsive to the needs of the children, parents and carers we work with to deliver equality, diversity and inclusivity in all we do.

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.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.