Job Description

To promote fostering and facilitate the recruitment of foster carers across Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington.

Organisation

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Location

Ellesmere Port

Job Category

Children and Young People Services

Grade

CWAC NJC - Grade 7

Salary Min

\xc2\xa327,344 per annum

Salary Max

\xc2\xa330,151 per annum

Hours per week

37

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Closing Date

28/08/2023

Ref No

W2915

Documents

(Word, 30.36kb)

Cheshire West and Chester Council brings a fresh and energetic approach to providing top quality services for its many customers and communities. West Cheshire is a place where everyone can Thrive \xe2\x80\x93 through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

Cheshire West and Chester Council brings a fresh and energetic approach to providing top quality services for its many customers and communities. West Cheshire is a place where everyone can Thrive \xe2\x80\x93 through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

Now in its sixth year, Foster4, Cheshire West and Chester\xe2\x80\x99s pioneering shared foster carer marketing and recruitment service, is looking to recruit a new Fostering Support Worker to join their small, friendly and dynamic team.

As an integral member of this collaborative service, the successful applicant will work on behalf of the three Local Authorities of Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. They will ensure best practice collaborative approaches to foster carer recruitment are applied, and continuously seek ways to evolve the service to ensure the continued recruitment of high-quality foster carers.

The post holder will be responsible for working as part of a duty team, managing a high volume of enquiries from the public and providing specialist advice about fostering, on the telephone, via email and face-to-face. The post holder will be responsible for guiding enquirers through next steps, tracking and recording progress on the relevant systems and contributing to the development of databases.

The post holder will also deliver \xe2\x80\x98Become a Foster Carer\xe2\x80\x99 Information Sessions, both face-to-face and online, and attend outreach events to represent the service (some of these will be out of usual office hours). As such, we are looking for someone who will be a reliable, friendly, confident and a highly motivated team player. You will need to be comfortable with presenting in front of groups and have a positive and sensitive telephone manner to help enquirers feel at ease. Knowledge of fostering and children\xe2\x80\x99s services would be a distinct advantage, but full training will be provided.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate strong IT and time management skills and high levels of discretion and sensitivity.

The Foster4 service is primarily based at Warrington Council\xe2\x80\x99s Time Square offices. However mobile and flexible working arrangements are part of the offer so home working and working within the Cheshire West and Chester footprint will be part of the role.

The post holder will be employed by Cheshire West and Chester Council, and jointly line managed by the Foster4 Marketing and Recruitment Officer and a Cheshire West and Chester Council Fostering Service Senior Social Worker.

In addition, the post holder will also retain some Cheshire West and Chester specific responsibilities and be a valued part of the mainstream fostering team. As such, there will be a requirement to work in Cheshire West and Chester\xe2\x80\x99s offices at times.

The attached job description provides more information about the role. For an informal discussion contact Julie Preece, Mainstream Fostering Manager on 0151 337 4577 or at

Please note that this job is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

The contractual work location for this role is listed above however you may be required to work from a range of work locations or sites within the Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington boroughs and beyond and may also be required to work from home, depending on the needs of the service.

As employers, we recognise that Cheshire West and Chester Council has a major role to play in improving the quality of life of its employees. We are committed to agile flexible and mobile working and helping employees to maintain an effective balance between their work and home life.

We have a strong political and senior leadership team with a wealth of experience and knowledge about children\xe2\x80\x99s outcomes across the borough of Cheshire West and Chester. Children\xe2\x80\x99s social care and the wider partnership use this understanding well to target areas for continued improvement.

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date then it is likely that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion, however, please do not be discouraged from applying again.

Please note that this job is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

To find out more information about what it is like to work for Cheshire West and Chester Council including our rewards and benefits please see

No candidate will meet every single requirement - if your experience looks a little different from what we\'ve identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we\'d love to learn more about you!

Cheshire West and Chester Council are committed to equality and diversity in employment. Please see the for more information.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have adopted a Local Living Wage for our employees which means that all employees will receive a minimum of \xc2\xa310.90 per hour for all contracted hours.

For any technical enquiries please email and quote job reference number in all correspondence.

Cheshire West and Chester Council