Job summary
The Kinship Matters team is set up to assess, support and advise Kinship carers for children who are Children We care for or are likely to become Children We Care For. Our primary focus is to support Kinship Carers to access help and support to gain Special Guardianship or permanent Orders for those Connected children in their care. In 2026 we will be taking over Special Guardianship Support.
Main duties of the job
Your role would be to support Kinship carers through the process of gaining a permanent Order. You will receive training in delivering the Foster Carers Toolkit which is available to all foster carers and Oxfordshires bespoke behavioural management programme and be trauma informed
You will be part of educating carers in the reasons why children have come into LA care and would need to deliver training on issues such as domestic violence, substance misuse, financial management and trauma.
You will lead family network meetings, Kinship support groups and signpost Kinship carers to other agencies for help or support directly with issues such as housing or safety issues
You will also enable a smooth transition between being an assessed kinship carer through to becoming a Special Guardian carers and beyond.
About us
About you
You will be experienced in working directly with parents/carers in delivering training and support within Children's social care
You will have an awareness of the CWCF system and the challenges faced by the Children that we have in our care
You will be personable and approachable and be able to maintain professional, safe boundaries.
You will value being a team player and be able to communicate to a high standard both verbally and in written form
Rewards and benefits
It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.
We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 33 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Role Title - Kinship Matters Support Worker
Service - Childrens Services
Function- Childrens Social Care
Reports to - Assistant Team Manager /Team Manager
Role Purpose
- To provide a professional service to a caseload of Kinship families and the children either in their care or are to be placed in their care.
- To ensure the highest of professional standards and good overall knowledge of interventions and practice
- To ensure provision of good quality services which integrate government and local guidance and initiatives including, Children Acts 1989 & 2004, Working Together, local Child Protection and Looked After Children procedures, and the DoH assessment framework.
Childrens Services Accountabilities
- To assess Kinship carers and children and young people's needs, including taking appropriate actions to address emerging safeguarding concerns.
- To support children and families that are part of the CWCF process or on a Permanent Order.
- That the needs of the children and their parents/carers are professionally supported, and that relevant interventions are provided where needed, in a timely way.
- To work with families using a strengths-based approach with a positive approach to permanency.
- To prepare and submit written reports as and when required.
- To attend reviews and meetings presenting interventions undertaken clearly, with professionalism and integrity.
- To ensure the social worker is kept fully appraised of significant information about allocated families arising, seeking advice as and when necessary.
- For cases that are allocated to you , to ensure the manager is kept fully appraised of significant information about allocated families arising, seeking advice as and when necessary.
- To attend group supervision when required and to ensure that relevant updates are provided before each group supervision session.
- To attend individual supervision when required and to engage in professional development as agreed with the line manager.
- To use ICT to maintain accurate case records, and to be able to record activity in line with key performance management data.
- To practice according to the Councils policies and procedures.
- To be familiar with and committed to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice and the Council Policy and Plan and to implement this in all aspects of working practice and promote it in the team, workplace and wider organisation.
- To proactively liaise with and work in partnership other agencies and organisations, parents and carers.
- To ensure that the childs voice is considered in all casework and included in all assessments and plans.
- To promote the involvement of young service users and families in meetings about them, and where possible, in service development.
- Comply with OCC health and safety policies, procedures and rules, taking reasonable care of self and others.
Health and Safety
You have specific responsibilities under Health & Safety legislation to ensure that you:
- Take reasonable care for your own health and safety, and that of others affected by what you do, or do not do.
- Cooperate on all issues involving health and safety.
- Use work items provided for you correctly, in accordance with training and instructions.
- Do not interfere with or misuse anything provided for your health, safety or welfare.
- Report any health and safety concerns to your line manager as soon as practicable.
Portfolio Accountabilities
- Work collaboratively with internal and external providers to support service delivery and improve outcomes for children and their Kinship Carers.
- Actively engage and work with all key partner agencies in the delivery of multi-agency child safeguarding duties in accordance with national policy and legislation.
Knowledge / skills / experience required
- Evidence of a good standard of education Relevant Level 3 Qualification
- An understanding of the impact of abuse, social deprivation, inequality and disadvantage on children, young people and their families and a good understanding of child development and factors that support children to develop and achieve their potential.
- A good standard of IT skills, recording skills and the ability to be reflective; assessing and analysing information
- Ability to demonstrate relevant and substantial experience in any or all of the following - social care, education, early years, youth and community work and proven experience of working effectively with children, young people and their families including within the family homes of children.
- Ability to work in an inclusive/non-discriminatory manner, acting with integrity and impartiality, promoting a working environment that supports the Councils values
- Ability to communicate and collaborate with a wide range of people in different situations and build effective working relationships internally and with partner agencies and be approachable.
- Ability to be proactive, to motivate and create change within complex family situations and deal effectively with challenging situations with resilience and confidence with the ability to listen, mediate and negotiate.
- Ability to be proactive, to motivate and create change within complex family situations and deal effectively with challenging situations with resilience and confidence with the ability to listen, mediate and negotiate
Working arrangements
This role may will require the post holder to travel across Oxfordshire and work flexibly, outside of core working hours where necessary to meet the demands of the service
An enhanced DBS for children and adults is required
Leading through our values and behaviours
Providing clear and visible leadership by putting our values front and centre of every behaviour, decision, and action.
- Always learning.
- Be kind and care.
- Equality and integrity in all we do.
- Taking responsibility.
- Daring to do it differently.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Role Title - Kinship Matters Support Worker
Service - Childrens Services
Function- Childrens Social Care
Reports to - Assistant Team Manager /Team Manager
Role Purpose
- To provide a professional service to a caseload of Kinship families and the children either in their care or are to be placed in their care.
- To ensure the highest of professional standards and good overall knowledge of interventions and practice
- To ensure provision of good quality services which integrate government and local guidance and initiatives including, Children Acts 1989 & 2004, Working Together, local Child Protection and Looked After Children procedures, and the DoH assessment framework.
Childrens Services Accountabilities
- To assess Kinship carers and children and young people's needs, including taking appropriate actions to address emerging safeguarding concerns.
- To support children and families that are part of the CWCF process or on a Permanent Order.
- That the needs of the children and their parents/carers are professionally supported, and that relevant interventions are provided where needed, in a timely way.
- To work with families using a strengths-based approach with a positive approach to permanency.
- To prepare and submit written reports as and when required.
- To attend reviews and meetings presenting interventions undertaken clearly, with professionalism and integrity.
- To ensure the social worker is kept fully appraised of significant information about allocated families arising, seeking advice as and when necessary.
- For cases that are allocated to you , to ensure the manager is kept fully appraised of significant information about allocated families arising, seeking advice as and when necessary.
- To attend group supervision when required and to ensure that relevant updates are provided before each group supervision session.
- To attend individual supervision when required and to engage in professional development as agreed with the line manager.
- To use ICT to maintain accurate case records, and to be able to record activity in line with key performance management data.
- To practice according to the Councils policies and procedures.
- To be familiar with and committed to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice and the Council Policy and Plan and to implement this in all aspects of working practice and promote it in the team, workplace and wider organisation.
- To proactively liaise with and work in partnership other agencies and organisations, parents and carers.
- To ensure that the childs voice is considered in all casework and included in all assessments and plans.
- To promote the involvement of young service users and families in meetings about them, and where possible, in service development.
- Comply with OCC health and safety policies, procedures and rules, taking reasonable care of self and others.
Health and Safety
You have specific responsibilities under Health & Safety legislation to ensure that you:
- Take reasonable care for your own health and safety, and that of others affected by what you do, or do not do.
- Cooperate on all issues involving health and safety.
- Use work items provided for you correctly, in accordance with training and instructions.
- Do not interfere with or misuse anything provided for your health, safety or welfare.
- Report any health and safety concerns to your line manager as soon as practicable.
Portfolio Accountabilities
- Work collaboratively with internal and external providers to support service delivery and improve outcomes for children and their Kinship Carers.
- Actively engage and work with all key partner agencies in the delivery of multi-agency child safeguarding duties in accordance with national policy and legislation.
Knowledge / skills / experience required
- Evidence of a good standard of education Relevant Level 3 Qualification
- An understanding of the impact of abuse, social deprivation, inequality and disadvantage on children, young people and their families and a good understanding of child development and factors that support children to develop and achieve their potential.
- A good standard of IT skills, recording skills and the ability to be reflective; assessing and analysing information
- Ability to demonstrate relevant and substantial experience in any or all of the following - social care, education, early years, youth and community work and proven experience of working effectively with children, young people and their families including within the family homes of children.
- Ability to work in an inclusive/non-discriminatory manner, acting with integrity and impartiality, promoting a working environment that supports the Councils values
- Ability to communicate and collaborate with a wide range of people in different situations and build effective working relationships internally and with partner agencies and be approachable.
- Ability to be proactive, to motivate and create change within complex family situations and deal effectively with challenging situations with resilience and confidence with the ability to listen, mediate and negotiate.
- Ability to be proactive, to motivate and create change within complex family situations and deal effectively with challenging situations with resilience and confidence with the ability to listen, mediate and negotiate
Working arrangements
This role may will require the post holder to travel across Oxfordshire and work flexibly, outside of core working hours where necessary to meet the demands of the service
An enhanced DBS for children and adults is required
Leading through our values and behaviours
Providing clear and visible leadership by putting our values front and centre of every behaviour, decision, and action.
- Always learning.
- Be kind and care.
- Equality and integrity in all we do.
- Taking responsibility.
- Daring to do it differently.
Person Specification
General Requirements
Essential
- Please refer to job description above
Desirable
- Please refer to job description above
Person Specification
General Requirements
Essential
- Please refer to job description above
Desirable
- Please refer to job description above
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
