Advanced Practitioner

Full Job Description

Job Title: Advanced Practitioner

Location: Heath Farm Fostering, Herne Bay

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Salary: £43,000 - £47,000 dependent on experience (plus a car allowance)

About the Agency

Heath Farm is an independent fostering agency with a holistic, wraparound care approach for children who have complex needs. We work with more than 70 foster carers and over 100 foster children. Part of National Fostering Group, we are based in Herne Bay, Kent and operate throughout London, Kent and Essex. We are rated Good by Ofsted!

About the Role

This is an amazing opportunity to join the National Fostering Group as a Advanced Practitioner with Heath Farm Fostering.

Advanced Practitioners are responsible for supporting the Registered Manager in the overall management of the region and be an active member of the regional management team in order to develop practice and growth of the fostering service, ensuring a ready supply of safe, caring foster placements that offer protection to a wide range of children and young people.

Advanced practitioners will manage staff to lead projects and develop the service. They will supervise a small number of foster carers as required and support foster carers with children who have more complex needs.

About the Group

We are part of the National Fostering Group – the UK’s largest independent fostering family.

Our highly skilled and dedicated fostering community supports Local Authorities by providing short or long-term foster placements for thousands of vulnerable children and teenagers throughout the UK. Almost all of our 32 regional fostering agencies are officially recognised by Ofsted, Welsh and Scottish regulators as either ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’, it is perhaps not surprising that more people choose to foster with our fostering agencies than any other fostering provider in the UK.

Who we are looking for

You will need to have Social Work Registration and possess a good working knowledge of relevant legislation and their impact on fostering services. 

You will be keen to develop your management skills and take a leadership role in specific areas and projects.

You will be a strong communicator, both written and verbal, have good IT skills and be flexible and able to travel throughout the area. 

Essential Criteria

• Car driver and access to a vehicle
• Current registration with the relevant Social Work regulatory council (e.g Social Work England)
• Recent experience in services for children

But what else is in it for you? Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Up to 39 days annual leave each year (25 base entitlement + 1 One moment in time + 8 bank holidays + ability to buy up to 5 extra days)
• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks

And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the children and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment and undertake appropriate checks.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

Job ID: 267351