Senior Social Work Assistant - Special Guardianship Order Support & Private Fostering Team

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate professional Senior Social Work Assistant to support social workers in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and young people across the city on a full time, permanent basis.

This service area is focused on supporting vulnerable children and young people to remain safely within their families wherever possible. It brings together Special Guardianship (SGO) Support and Private Fostering, delivering high-quality, child-centred support to kinship carers and ensuring strong safeguarding for privately fostered children.

The team works at pace to provide timely assessments, practical support, and targeted interventions that promote stability and positive outcomes. With a strong emphasis on partnership working, the service collaborates closely with internal teams and external agencies to deliver joined-up, effective support.

Driven by high standards, the area is committed to continuous improvement, robust quality assurance, and compliance with statutory responsibilities—ensuring children’s voices remain at the heart of all decision-making.

About the role

In this role, you will manage allocated casework, provide practical day-to-day support to children and families, and contribute to high-quality assessments and record-keeping in line with statutory requirements. You will also help coordinate support groups for post-order families (including Special Guardianship Order, Child Arrangement Order or Private Fostering, and Adoption) and assist with recruitment and awareness initiatives to grow these arrangements.

We are also looking to hold training and support events which Post Adoption families can also be involved with, therefore this is a unique and evolving role which provides a great opportunity for a candidate to demonstrate and develop their skills and knowledge in these areas.

Working collaboratively with multi-agency partners, you will play a key role in ensuring joined-up services and positive outcomes for children. Strong communication, organisation, and analytical skills are essential, alongside a commitment to continuous professional development and best practice.

You will be an active team member, contributing to service development and supporting the Team Manager as needed to meet the needs of the service.

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. Additional Information

Interview date: TBC

Onboarding Process: Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian Including DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.

Our Benefits:

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Benefits

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.