Supervising Social Worker

Role Description

The Supervising Social Worker plays a key role in building strong relationships between By the Bridge, foster parents, and children’s social workers. This position supports foster parents to maintain stable placements and achieve positive outcomes for children.

You will work closely with internal and external partners to ensure foster parents understand and operate within all relevant regulations, national minimum standards, and By the Bridge policies and guidance.

The role combines monitoring and safeguarding responsibilities for children with the supervision and support of foster parents, helping to ensure safe, nurturing, and effective foster placements.

About By the Bridge

By the Bridge with Cambian is an innovative and dynamic independent fostering organisation providing high-quality foster care and support services to children and their foster families. 

We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and has the opportunity to grow, develop, and achieve their goals. We celebrate diversity across our staff, families, and children, recognising that our strength lies in inclusion. Our focus is on supporting the most vulnerable and advocating for them and alongside them to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Role Responsibilities

To be responsible for supervising and supporting foster parents and promoting the rights and safety of children placed with foster parents and managing cases.
To ensure children’s views and wishes are regularly sought, recorded, and acted upon by both yourself and foster parents.  
To ensure that By the Bridge with Cambian meets the indicators set out in the Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards, particularly regarding children’s health, well-being, social and emotional development, and support to manage their responses.
Work as part of a multi-disciplinary professional team around the child, including attending meetings, preparing assessments, and completing high-quality reports
Provide effective support, information, and advice to enable foster parents to deliver consistent and high-quality care to children.
To ensure that the matching of children to placements is based on high-quality assessments and well-evidenced, defensible decisions.
Support foster parents in promoting children’s achievements in education, learning, and development while upholding equality and diversity.
To undertake and produce high-quality assessments and reports.
To work in line with our policies and procedures, adhering to reporting and recording requirements.
Maintain professional registration with the relevant social work body and ensure that you take personal responsibility for your ongoing professional development.  
Prepare for and engage in regular supervision with your line manager.

Role Objective

Conduct a minimum of one monthly home supervision visit and weekly telephone contact with foster parents, or more frequently if required.  
Ensure every child has a completed safety plan that is effective, proportionate, and tailored to the foster parents’ practice.
To undertake unannounced home visits to foster parents in accordance with BtB policies and procedures.
Support foster parents in facilitating children’s family time and maintaining appropriate relationships, in line with each child’s care plan.
Ensure each foster parent has a suitable Personal Professional Development Plan and has completed their TSD standards within the appropriate timeframe. 
Ensure all safety, medical and home checks are suitably assessed and resolved as necessary.   
Facilitate support groups for foster families in line with BtB policies and procedures.

General Responsibilities

To work in accordance with By the Bridge with Cambian policies and procedures.
To contribute to the culture of By the Bridge with Cambian.
To uphold and embody our values at all times, ensuring the protection of children is paramount.
To adhere to responsibilities under data protection, health and safety legislation and policies.
To demonstrate a positive commitment to equalities and diversity.
To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected or commensurate with your role.
This job description is subject to change as the role evolves.

Person Specification

Qualified Social Worker registered with Social Work England
Strong knowledge of Ofsted regulations and safeguarding best practices
Proven experience working in fostering or therapeutic childcare settings
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
High emotional intelligence and strong intuitive judgement
Self-motivated with a professional, positive attitude
Effective organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload efficiently
Proficient in IT systems, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
Experience using database systems (advantageous but not essential)

Safeguarding Children

Safeguarding children is at the heart of everything By the Bridge with Cambian does. As a Supervising Social Worker, you are in a key position to identify any actual or potential safeguarding concerns. If you have any reason to be worried about a child’s well-being, you must follow By the Bridge with Cambian’s safeguarding reporting procedures. All Supervising Social Workers are required to complete mandatory online safeguarding training during their induction period.

By the Bridge Ltd may vary your job description from time to time to reflect any development of your role necessary in consequence of regulatory change or operational needs.