Fostering Assessment Manager
Join Our Team as a Fostering Assessment Manager!
Location: Remote
Contract: Full Time, Permanent - 35 hours per week
Salary: Up to £49,000 per annum
Why Choose Us?
At Polaris, we are proud to be one of the UK’s largest communities of children’s service providers. For over 30 years, we have been dedicated to improving the lives of young people through our independent fostering and adoption agencies, leaving care services, and bespoke children’s services. Our nurturing community is committed to achieving the best outcomes for every child in our care, and we believe in the potential of our children, families, and staff.
Your Role
We are excited to invite a passionate Assessment Manager to join our established assessment team. In this role, you will provide robust leadership and management to the foster parent assessment process. This is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your management skills within fostering while working in a supportive environment focused on delivering high-quality foster parents for the country’s most vulnerable children.
What We Are Looking For
We seek an enthusiastic Assessment Manager who shares our vision of achieving the best outcomes for children and young people. You will:
- Lead the recruitment and assessment of foster parents from initial enquiry to panel approval.
- Ensure the quality and timeliness of assessments.
- Build strong partnerships with internal teams and external stakeholders.
- Analyze data and trends to support service improvement and business planning.
- Provide guidance on fostering regulations and best practices.
- Commit to safeguarding, managing all concerns promptly and appropriately.
- Contribute to panel processes as required.
About You
To thrive in this role, you should possess:
- A professionally recognized qualification in Social Work.
- A minimum of four years’ experience as a qualified social worker in a children and family setting.
- Strong knowledge of foster parent recruitment and assessment, including Form F and the assessment and panel process.
- Sound understanding of fostering legislation, regulations, and standards.
- Experience working with fostering panels and performance targets.
- Excellent report writing, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- A full driving license.
- Proficiency in the full suite of Microsoft Office.
Working Conditions & Benefits
We offer a supportive and flexible working environment, along with a comprehensive benefits package:
- 30 days of annual leave, increasing to 35 days with length of service, plus bank holidays.
- Car allowance.
- Company pension.
- Life assurance.
- Employee discount scheme.
At Polaris, we are an equal opportunities employer. The successful applicant will be subject to a DBS check. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and we expect all staff to share this commitment.
Join us in making a difference in the lives of children and young people. We can’t wait to meet you!