Panel Advisor Role | Southend-on-Sea City Council | £53,460-£58,959
Please note that only Social Work England Registered Social Workers with Right to Work in the UK will be considered for this role, please do not apply if you are not a SWE Registered Social Worker who has the Right to Work in the UK.
Caritas Recruitment is proud to be supporting Southend-on-Sea Borough Council in the recruitment of an experienced and strategic Fostering & Permanency Panel Advisor to join their Corporate Parenting service.
This is a senior-level opportunity for an experienced Social Worker with strong expertise in permanency planning, fostering services, and quality assurance. You will act as the Council's lead expert for fostering panels and permanency, ensuring that children in care achieve timely, stable, and appropriate long-term outcomes.
Key ResponsibilitiesLead, manage, and coordinate the Fostering & Permanency Panel, including training and development of panel membersAct as the expert advisor to the Fostering Panel, ensuring high-quality decision-making processesDrive permanency planning outcomes for children in care across adoption, special guardianship, long-term fostering, and other legal routesOversee quality assurance of panel reports and permanency planning documentationLead on audits, performance analysis, and reporting on trends, outcomes, and service improvementsIdentify areas for development and implement changes to policy and practiceWork collaboratively with senior leaders, social workers, and multi-agency professionalsProvide training, guidance, and support to social work teams and panel membersEnsure timely implementation of Agency Decision Maker outcomesAbout You
To be successful in this role, you will have:
A Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work EnglandSignificant experience working with children and families, ideally with management or strategic responsibilitiesStrong knowledge of fostering regulations, national minimum standards, and permanency planningProven experience in audit, quality assurance, and performance analysisExcellent communication skills and the ability to influence across a wide range of stakeholdersThe ability to lead change, drive best practice, and improve service deliveryConfidence working in a complex local authority environmentWhy Apply?Opportunity to shape and influence permanency outcomes at a strategic levelWork within a collaborative Corporate Parenting servicePlay a key role in improving outcomes for children and young peopleEngage in meaningful leadership, audit, and service development workAdditional InformationYou will deputise for the Service Manager where required and contribute to wider leadership across the serviceThis is a key leadership role focused on improving practice, embedding policy, and delivering excellence in children's services
For more information on this role or for a discussion about Social Work opportunities across England and Wales please contact Gemma at Caritas Recruitment - g.bridgman @ caritas-recruitment.com / 0 7 3 8 4 5 2 5 2 8 7
