Advert Deputy RM Midlands

Job Title: Deputy Regional Manager

Hours: XXX

Reports to: Registered Manager

Key Responsibilities:

The responsibility of the role will be to support the Registered Manager in the day-to-day running of the Agency ensuring excellent practice across the region.
Deputy Management

• To work in close liaison with the Regional Manager to develop the fostering service in a specified regional area. To manage the SSSW’s in the region.
• Supporting the Regional Manager to ensure the fostering service is financially viable for the purpose of achieving the aims and objectives set out in the Statement of Purpose.
• To adhere to relevant legislation regulation and company policies and procedures to work consistently with Fusions’ core values and deliver best practice standards of work to ensure that all services for young people are delivered to a high standard across the region and maintaining a system for improving the quality of foster care provided.
• Supporting the Regional Manager to produce monthly reports on all areas of the Agency and feedback these reports to the Operations Director and completing annual reports for Fostering Panel.
• Supporting the Regional Manager in ensuring that any reports required by Ofsted or other third-party organisations are completed to agreed timescales and quality of work.
• To keep abreast of new legislation, guidance, policy direction, effective good practice and research in order to continually improve good practice within the Agency.
• To maintain a child-centered approach, fundamental to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child. To keep the child in focus when making decisions about their lives and working in partnership with them and their families.

People Management

• Supporting the Regional Manager in supervising the SSWs as required under National Minimum Standards and Fusion Fostering’s policies and procedures, managing performance, and undertaking annual appraisals and training plans in line with mandatory and developmental requirements.
• Supporting the Regional Manager in ensuring all new recruits/ staff complete an induction, a 3-month informal probation review, a 6-month formal probation review, regular supervisions and an annual appraisal.

Recruitment and Compliance

• Supporting the Regional Manager in the oversight of the regional recruitment. assessment (and regular monitoring for continued suitability and competence) of foster carers through fostering panel, supervision, review and training processes and by developing and implementing strategies for marketing.
• Supporting the SSWs in that their foster carers meet the requirements of the Training Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers and monitor evidence of their competencies within the specified timescales.
• Supporting the SSWs development, auditing and monitoring of foster carer and children’s files for compliance with National Minimum Standards and Fusion Fostering’s policies and procedures, and in suitable matching, placement plans/care plans, health and education plans, permanence plans and where appropriate pathway plans, risk assessments and behaviour management plans.

Retention of Foster Carers

• To work with SSSWs to promote the retention of foster carers, by ensuring that there are effective partnership relationships between the agency and the carers. To ensure that carers’ issues are identified, understood, and promptly resolved.
• Oversee referrals and match to suitable carers, completing thorough EOIs as per the Matching Policy.

Other Responsibilities

• Taking a delegated responsibility in liaising with Local Authorities and relevant third-party bodies.
• To support the SSSW decision making in complex cases and/or make decisions in complex cases.
• To promote the Safeguarding Children Policy across the region, as required and take a supporting role to the Regional Manager role for ensuring accurate records on allegations/investigations are kept and report to Ofsted/LADO, as appropriate.
• Supporting on (non-safeguarding) complaints, as specified within the Complaints Procedure.
• To take responsibility for own professional development, maintaining essential qualifications, regularly updating knowledge, and undertaking all training opportunities provided by Fusion Fostering Limited.
• To be responsible for the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy as far as it affects the role, colleagues and others who may be affected by the role. The post holder is also expected to monitor the effectiveness of the Health and Safety arrangements and systems to ensure appropriate improvements are made where necessary.
• Since confidential information is involved with the duties of this post, the post holder will be required to always exercise discretion and to observe relevant codes of practice and legislation in relation to data protection and personal information.

Skills/Qualifications/Experience (Essential/Desirable):

• Possess a recognised and accredited social work qualification with HCPC registration.
• Knowledge of Ofsted, National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services and Fostering Services Regulations.
• Sound understanding and practice around safeguarding children.
• Excellent communication and administrative skills.
• Ability to run the day-to-day practice of the fostering agency.
• Ability to oversee, match and manage referrals in making placements.
• Maintain positive relationships with placing Local Authorities.
• Ability to review and monitor outcomes.
• A high level of literacy and numeracy.
• An ability to maintain judgement when working under pressure.
• Proven ability to plan and prioritise workloads.
• Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately at all levels both orally and in writing.
• Ability to carry out quality assurance audits.