Job Introduction
About Us
Bradford Children and Families Trust was established in April 2023 to enhance the quality and delivery of Children’s Services across our district. Our purpose is clear, to ensure that our promise to improve the lives of children and young people in Bradford becomes a reality. It’s a tough ask. It requires dedication, determination, and resilience – but under a new Chief Executive, Senior Leadership team and an unswerving drive to deliver the best outcomes, we are confident that we’ll achieve our ambition – and yours.
About The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute towards the stability of foster placements in a newly created role for Bradford Children and Families Trust based within the Fostering Service.
We are looking for candidates who have a proactive and creative approach to supporting children who are living in kinship and mainstream foster homes, and who are passionate about preventing placement instability and breakdown.
Key Responsibilities
This is a varied role involving working directly with kinship and mainstream foster carers for an agreed period of time and can include offering support to carers managing complex behaviours, supporting carers with training around an identified need, supporting carers understanding of developmental trauma and supporting carers in placement stability meetings for example. The role will also involve working closely with Supervising Social Workers and Children’s Social Workers.
Placement support can be considered at the point of matching / at the beginning of a placement; to support a foster family as they all adjust to living together and to try to prevent any struggles from the beginning. Support may also be identified at other times during the placement; when an issue arises that may have an impact on placement stability or support with transitions at the end of a young person’s placement for example. The role may also include some crisis intervention work to prevent placement breakdown.
The progress and stability of foster placements and the effectiveness of the support offered will be monitored by regular review meetings.
About You
We would encourage applicants with experience in education, early years, youth justice, youth work, sports, residential, therapeutic, family support, and drug and alcohol services.
You will be proficient at finding time specific, dynamic, and creative solutions to challenging situations. Possession of a full current driving licence is essential, as you will be required to travel around the city. The successful candidate will play a role in establishing positive working relationships with a range of other agencies and professionals.
Support to foster families will be considered on a referral basis and is planned and time limited. There may be occasions where there is a need to respond to crisis situations with the foster families they are working with. The role involves some evening and weekend work.
List of Benefits
As an employer we like to acknowledge our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of employee benefits, including;
- Generous Employer Contributions in a Local Government Pension Scheme
- Competitive salary and pay progression structure.
- Real living wage as the minimum rate of pay
- Supportive carer and parental policies
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Access to Occupational Health and confidential counselling services
- Supportive staff networks
- Access to Blue Light Card Discounts
- Professional development/support
- Career Progression
- Enhanced annual leave entitlement
- Social Worker Registration Fees paid
- Flexible Working/Hybrid options subject to service need
If you wish to discuss this role further, please contact Ceri Orton via email at ceri.orton@bradfordcft.org.uk.
Closing Date: 27th July
Bradford Children and Families Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.
If shortlisted, you will be required to complete a criminal disclosure form with details of any criminal history – to be provided at interview.
An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check including a check against the Children’s barred list, will be carried out on preferred candidates.
