Permanent
Part time 18.5 hours per week
About us Our Fostering Service is providing a service to children, young people and carers that is focused on making a difference in young people’s lives. The recent testimony from a carer says it all:“The last few months have been a huge learning curve but seeing the child in my care now thriving has made it all worthwhile. I cannot express enough how rewarding it has been to see her develop and respond to me, knowing that I have helped give her the best possible start in her life”.
About the role: Enrichment and Progression
The Family Practitioners are based within the Area Fostering Support Teams for additional proactive crisis stability support. This builds better relationships and encourages prevention with carers in the areas rather than a countywide service. We offer practical support when needed to enhance the provision from the duty rota. This crisis stability support can support a child/YP remaining in their home with their foster family, with additional practical support if needed alongside the Promoting Stability Team who are offering support to the carers to repair the relationship rupture and therapeutic parenting. The crisis stability support will offer short-term interventions 3- 4 weeks to stabilise. Once the support is completed, we ensure a planned ending with the child, to encourage an experience of positive endings within the child’s life.
We support the children and young people using trauma informed practice and PACE principles, promoting connection and PACE principles with the foster carers as well to enable them to continue to support the child/young person in the same way.
There is effective planning for countywide activities for foster families, alongside SSWs. Fostering Devon would like to support Participation by encouraging collaboration on activities and introducing the Participation Team as an integral part of Fostering Devon to support our children and young people. We hope to engage our children and young people in group activities that offer an opportunity to build positive relational experiences with friends and others.
Family Finding can be supported within each Area Support Team, the Family Practitioner can support the voice of the child, support social workers with what a child needs from a permanency arrangement in fostering, and support with an ‘All About Me’ book and celebration for permanence.
We want to support our young people to gain independence skills, ensuring the carer is the agent for change and we can support the carer to provide the opportunities our young people need to develop appropriate life skills. One of our Family Practitioners provides additional support to the foster families who have young people remaining in their care into adulthood.
About you: Like us, you’ll be passionate about improving children’s life chances. With energy and enthusiasm, you will be able to demonstrate success in the managing of complex situations. You will be committed to reflective practice and know how to energise, motivate and challenge practitioners. You will have an ability to work to deadlines in a fast paced and supportive environment . We are looking for people who are strong in partnership working, think creatively and are ready to try new things.
Knowledge of Eclipse computer system is an advantage – strong IT skills a must.
Full-clean license and access to a car – ability to travel as required.
Personal and professional rewards In return, we will recognise and reward the vital contribution you make and just as importantly, we will support you to grow and develop with us. Through individual and team supervision to support reflective practice, and effective locally-based administrative support, we aim to enable you to be the best, you can be.
For an informal discussion please contact Mandy King on 07816947531
Job Description
What we can offer you
Working for Devon County Council has all the benefits that you can expect from a large employer.
In return for the vital contribution that you make, we offer: