Self-Employed Sessional Assessing Social Worker

Self-Employed Sessional Assessing Social Workers - Fostering

TACT is the UK’s largest specialist charity provider of fostering services. Our core work involves providing high quality and well supported fostering families for children and young people in the care of local authorities. Working in partnership with local authorities from our offices across England, Wales and Scotland, we are dedicated to providing creative, effective and outcome-focused services. We also campaign on behalf of children and young people in care, carers and are a leading voice in the sector.

Our vision is to provide better lives for our children and young people.

Our South West Area Team are seeking self-employed social workers to support fostering, in:

  • Wiltshire
  • Swindon
  • Bristol
  • Oxford
  • North Somerset
  • Somerset
  • Gloucestershire
  • South Gloucestershire
  • Bath & North East Somerset

The team require a number of workers to cover Form F Assessments and / or a variety of other duties. Successful applicants will be specifically located in these areas or within a 20 - 25 mile radius and have a proven track record of providing quality assured Form F Assessments.

Self-Employed Sessional Social Worker duties may include:

  • To undertake and complete Form F assessments in the timescale set out in TACT’s policy and guidance.
  • To visit personal referees as identified on application form for prospective foster carers.
  • To ensure that all checks and references are undertaken and completed.
  • To provide to the supervisor, regular written updates of the draft assessment.
  • To liaise with the administrative department concerning the progress of administrative checks and completion of the Form F.
  • To be available for supervision, consultation or liaison as required.
  • To be available to present completed Form F’s to TACT’s fostering panel and provide support to the applicants through this process.
  • To be aware of TACT’s child protection procedures and immediately report any child protection matter or concerns to a TACT manager and any relevant placing authority and the area authority.
  • To carry out the duties in line with TACT’s Foster Carer and Supervising Social Worker Standards and Practice Guidance.
  • The support and supervision of foster carers and placements (including but not exhaustively: carer supervision visits, visits to the YP in placement, attending LAC reviews, PEP meetings, other relevant professional meetings, writing supervision notes and carer reviews, carrying out H&S checks, keeping files up to date etc.) 

Self-Employed Sessional Assessing Social Worker - Fostering - Rates of Pay

  • TACT will pay £27 per hour (including travelling time) for support and supervision of foster carers and placements and associated tasks.
  • TACT will pay £33 per hour for initial visits, assessments which are not completed, and any other piece of work.
  • TACT will pay £1,900 plus VAT upon successful completion of a Form F Assessment.
  • Travelling time is included in the above payments unless travelling is in excess of 1 hour in each direction, in which case travelling time will be paid for the ‘in excess’ period only at £15 per hour.
  • You will be Dip SW, CSS or CQSW qualified and registered with Social Work England.
  • An enhanced DBS check will be required for this role and will requested on your behalf by TACT.

This role will start home-based due to Covid-19 situation but it is expected that once the lockdown measures are lifted, the Sessional Assessing Social Worker will travel occasionally to the office and to the foster carers’ homes for visits.

Please see the Self-Employed Sessional Assessing Social Worker Job Information Pack for a full breakdown of the role and rates.

Closing Date: Sunday, 9th August 2020

Interview Date: Wednesday, 19th August 2020 (via Video-Call)

Safeguarding is everyone’s business and TACT believe 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.

TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.