Location
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, including localities of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Westminster City Council.

Hours
Flexible hybrid working arrangement with regular home visits. Includes after-school meetings and occasional evening or weekend recruitment events to meet service needs.

Salary
Competitive local government salary with pension scheme.

About the Role
As a Social Worker in the Fostering team, you will support children and foster families to ensure children thrive in safe, nurturing family homes. You will carry out thorough assessments and provide quality supervision to foster carers across the Fostering Shared Services localities. Your work will include mainstream fostering, private fostering, and kinship care assessments, facilitating training and support groups, conducting annual foster carer reviews, and maintaining accurate case records on digital systems.

You will actively participate in the duty rota and support recruitment events to build a diverse pool of foster carers. You will also contribute to innovative initiatives such as the Mockingbird hub, an extended family model providing peer support and community connections for foster families. This role requires adaptability to manage a varied caseload and work collaboratively within a dedicated team focused on making a real difference to children and families.

Joining this Ofsted-rated Outstanding service means working within a supportive, flexible team that prioritises staff wellbeing and offers clear pathways for career development. The shared services model across three London boroughs provides access to extensive training opportunities and professional networks to support your practice.

Kensington and Chelsea is a diverse borough committed to delivering services with care, integrity, and competence, focused on creating a greener, safer, and fairer community for all residents.

Face to face interviews will be held during the week commencing 19th October 2026, including an assessment, young peoples panel, and a formal interview.

An Enhanced Barred List DBS check is required for this role.

Experience
Registered Social Worker with post-qualifying experience in children and family assessments, safeguarding, or fostering. Strong knowledge of the Children Act 1989, Fostering Regulations 2011, and Fostering National Minimum Standards.

About you
Excellent communication skills with the ability to build genuine rapport with children, foster carers, and families from diverse backgrounds. Highly organised, proactive, and able to manage a varied caseload under pressure. Demonstrates personal flexibility, empathy, and the ability to support carers effectively when needed. Adaptable to changing priorities and committed to collaborative working.

Qualifications
Registered Social Worker status is essential. Commitment to ongoing professional development and adherence to relevant legislation and standards.