Make a Difference to Foster Care Standards in Hillingdon
Hillingdon Council is seeking a dedicated Senior Social Worker / Fostering Reviewing Officer to join our fostering service and provide robust, independent oversight of foster carers’ annual reviews. In this vital role, you’ll ensure compliance with statutory regulations and uphold the highest standards of care for children in foster placements.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to service development and quality assurance, ensuring that foster carers offer safe, nurturing, and effective care in line with children’s care plans.
Chair Annual Foster Carer Reviews: Lead high-quality reviews in accordance with the Fostering Services Regulations 2011 and National Minimum Standards, ensuring they are reflective, analytical, and within timescales.
Promote Best Practice: Ensure the voice of the child, birth children, and foster carers is central to every review.
Quality Assurance & Compliance: Monitor fostering practice, make recommendations for continued approval, changes, or deregistration, and flag themes for service improvement.
Decision Making: Provide independent oversight and informed recommendations to fostering panels or management, as required.
Multi-agency Feedback: Collate and analyse input from social workers, health, education, and other professionals involved in the child’s care.
Recording & Reporting: Produce timely, high-quality review documentation detailing decisions, outcomes, and actions.
Safeguarding Oversight: Identify and escalate any safeguarding concerns raised during reviews.
Training & Development: Support professional development through mentoring and contributing to staff and foster carer training.
Service Improvement: Participate in audits, reviews, and data analysis to help inform and shape service improvements.
Partnership Working: Build strong relationships across fostering panels, social work teams, and partner agencies.
Essential:
Qualified Social Worker (DipSW, CQSW, BA/MA Social Work)
Registered with Social Work England
Minimum 5 years’ post-qualifying experience in children's social care, including fostering
Strong understanding of fostering legislation and national standards
Excellent analytical and decision-making skills
Proven ability to challenge and support practice
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Desirable:
Experience chairing meetings or panels
Prior quality assurance, IRO, or reviewing experience
Familiarity with performance frameworks and audit processes
Experience working with fostering panels
Additional Information
Enhanced DBS check required
Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary
Travel within the borough or region expected
On joining our Children’s Social Care team, you’ll be welcomed and made to feel ‘at home’, benefitting from the right tools, skills, and resources. From day one you’ll meet with colleagues across the council who will provide expert guidance and support to succeed and develop your career at Hillingdon - giving you that ‘Hillingdon feeling’.
Our commitment to continuous improvement is also reflected in our dedication to lead, coach, and invest into our people. Whether you’re just about to embark on a career within social care, or aspire to progress into senior roles, we offer clear development pathways to help you achieve your career ambitions.
With access to a wide range of training and learning opportunities (PAMs, AIMs, CGP2, etc.), every day is a ‘learning day’. Partnering with local Universities to offer the ‘Practice Educators programme’ we’re keen to not only enhance the quality of our social care provision, but also supercharge your career!
In addition to a comprehensive career development plan, we offer a range of benefits which include:
Local government average salary pension scheme
From 26 to 34 days annual leave (rising to 37, dependant on length of service)
Free on-site parking when working at our civic centre offices
Career breaks
Hybrid working and flexible working hours
Season ticket loan
Access to a credit union
Access to a wide range of trainings, courses, and other types of professional development
Discount on a variety of adult education courses run by the council
Payment of professional fees where these are required
Discounts at council-owned leisure centres and swimming pools at Hillingdon (Uxbridge), Queensmead (South Ruislip), Highgrove (Ruislip) and Botwell Green (Hayes)
Cycle purchase scheme
Car sharing scheme
30% discount on green fees at council-owned golf courses
If you'd like to arrange an informal chat about this role, please send us an email to recruitment@hillingdon.gov.uk, highlighting your name, contact details, and the name of this role.