Fostering Recruitment Officer/Family Support Worker
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Salary: £30,434per annum + £750 Homeworking Allowance per annum
Hours: 35 Hours per week
Contract: Fixed Term - Maternity Cover - 12 Months
Location: We are seeking someone located in Southampton/Eastleigh/Portsmouth/Fareham and immediate surrounding area. Travel required across the South Coast, focusing primarily on Hampshire and Dorset, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and surroundings.
As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT puts the needs of our children and carers first and looks to appoint individuals who are as passionate about fostering as we are. We are a homeworking organisation, and we pride ourselves on our flexible working opportunities, available from day one, an extensive wellbeing programme and our benefits package, all curated to nurture a healthy work-life balance for all our employees so they can give an excellent service to our carers and the young people and children we care for.
As a foster care charity, TACT invests all surplus income into services, staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to invest in unique projects like TACT Connect, our ground-breaking scheme for TACT care-experienced young people and adults, as well as our expanding Education and Health services. All our activities are built on our commitment to becoming a fully trauma informed organisation, in line with our key values and ethos.
In 2024 TACT became one of the top 5 charities to work for in the UK, placing 5th in the UK Best Companies Work For survey results , and a top 25 mid-sized company to work with across the whole of the UK. 97% of our people feel proud to work with TACT and think that TACT cares about their wellbeing, while 92% of our people would say they “ love working for TACT”.
The Role:
The Fostering Recruitment Officer/Family Support Worker role focuses on working with prospective and approved foster carers, children and families. You will be available to respond to and visit prospective foster carers as well as plan and participate in recruitment events across the region, contribute to face-to-face and online activities and opportunities to support those interested in fostering.
This role requires the candidate to support children and young people in person and attend recruitment activities across the South Coast, focusing primarily on Hampshire and Dorset, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and surroundings. Therefore, the use of a car suitable for transporting children is an essential requirement of the post, along with the ability to travel extensively, working flexibly around hours and days, including occasional weekends and occasional evenings, as key support to children and their carers and to respond to prospective carers' availability. Flexibility is required in the role to manage and support at short notice, meeting the needs of the children/service.
All employees are home-based but are required to travel regularly to the above locations and attend monthly face-to-face meetings, wellbeing events, and training events.
TACT offer an excellent employee benefits package, including:
- 31 days paid holiday plus 8 annual bank holidays.
- Progression to salary target rate upon completion of 18 months of service.
- 45p per mile for business travel.
- Flexible working arrangements (including compressed hours, flexibility around core hours, volunteer days policy).
- Family-friendly policies.
- Homeworking ‘bundle’ including annual allowance, IT equipment and a loan for home office set up.
- HelpHand Employee Assistance Programme (including CBT counselling, 24/7 remote GP appointments, physiotherapy, mental health support and second opinions on serious diagnosis).
- An hour a week of live, expert-led activities through the Annual Employee Wellbeing Programme.
- Menopause Policy and free Menopause Clinician Appointments.
- Stakeholder Pension Scheme (salary sacrifice).
- Fantastic learning and development opportunities for all roles.
An Enhanced DBS clearance is required for this role and will be processed by TACT on your behalf.
Closing Date: Wednesday, 15th April 2025
Interview Date: Monday, 27th April 2026
Safeguarding is everyone’s business, and TACT believes that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work. As part of TACT’s commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications, and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children. We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard TACT’s young people. All our staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies.
We reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than advertised if the volume of applications is excessive. You are therefore advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies, nor the fees associated with them
Can you help us develop an outstanding service for parent/carers in Surrey?
Do you have a passion to support young people's emotional health and wellbeing?
Barnardo's Parenting Wellbeing Service (PWS) are seeking to recruit two reliable and motivated individuals to join our team who share our commitment and vision to develop an outstanding service and embed Barnardo's basis and values in all we do. Barnardo's PWS offers advice, guidance and support to parents and carers across the county of Surrey.
The contracted hours for these two positions are 26.75 hours per week. Flexibility can be discussed about how these hours are completed within the working week. It is essential that Tuesdays are a working day and there will other occasions where early evening working (up to 6pm) will be required however this would be planned in advance to cater for our parent/carer schedules.
As a Parenting Wellbeing Practitioner, you will hold a rolling caseload and provide support to parents/carers whose children/young people are experiencing difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing. PWS aims to upskill parents/carers and empower them to explore new strategies to make effective change. PWS encourages parents/carers to use a solution focussed, goal-based strength approach, building on their existing knowledge to support their child(ren) to thrive.
Parents/Carers are offered a hybrid model of support over a number of sessions which are continuously assessed to measure progress. This is usually provided through one 60-minute session per week which can be received either online, over the phone, at home or out in the community.
The Parenting Wellbeing Service operates within a Thrive Framework where choice and shared decision making is fundamental. It is a relational model, and we hold a non-judgmental and trusting relationship between the staff member and parents. You will receive training on the Thrive model at the start of your employment.
To be successful in this role you will:
- Have experience working with and supporting parents/carers whose children and young people are experiencing difficulties with their emotional health and wellbeing.
- Have the ability to plan, deliver and evaluate 1:1 and groupwork wellbeing interventions with a solution focussed, goal-based strength approach.
- Be able to engage and communicate online and in person with parent/carers, schools, and other professionals or stakeholders representing Barnardo's.
- Have an understanding of how to work within a trauma-informed framework.
- Have knowledge of safeguarding issues, working within multi-agency frameworks and conducting risk assessments.
- Have good time-management, organisational, numeracy and literacy skills including competency on IT software.
- Have a full UK driving licence and access to a roadworthy and taxed car.
Although the role is hybrid with the ability to work from home, it is essential to meet the needs of the service to travel around Surrey when necessary. Due to this, access to a vehicle and a valid driving licence will be essential. Car insurance must include business use and be in place before starting with the service. The office base (Surrey Wellbeing Hub) for this role is currently in Leatherhead, Surrey and there is a requirement to regularly attend meetings and collect resources from this location. This base determines your normal deductible commute.
Barnardo's offer their staff regular supervision, external clinical supervision and give all colleagues access to at least three learning days a year (pro-rata). Barnardo's University (BU) facilitate a range of opportunities which will be available through B-learning online and the BU prospectus. However, staff can use this time in a way that works for them – for instance to spend a day shadowing another team.
When completing your application please refer to your skills, knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
- Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
- Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
- The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
- A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
- Service related sick pay from day 1
- Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
- Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
- Cycle2work scheme
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
- 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
- Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Our basis and values
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.