Introduction

Fostering and adoption social workers assess whether families are suitable for fostering or adopting children. They find long or short-term fostering placements for children who come into care and find permanent new families for children who can’t go home for whatever reason. Their work involves recruiting, assessing and giving ongoing support to foster carers and adopters of children.

Work Environment

Fostering and adoption social workers spend much of their time visiting families in their homes.

Hours can be flexible – some fostering and adoption social workers may work a 37-hour week, others may work part-time. Some evening and weekend work is also possible, in order to meet all the family members.

Daily Activities

The primary role of fostering and adoption social workers is to recruit, assess and support prospective foster carers and adoptive parents and investigate their suitability to look after and bring up children. This means finding out what appropriate personal skills and qualities they have, whether the home is suitable for children and if there is enough space, as well as discussing general health and hygiene issues. It is also necessary to find out what equipment might be required by potential fosterers, such as cots, car seats, pushchairs or extra furniture.

Fostering and adoption social workers spend a lot of time interviewing prospective carers, finding out about the family history, where and how they were educated, what their own parents were like and what skills and experience they already have in caring for children. They also talk to all members of the family to find out about family relationships, as well as their views and opinions. The fostering and adoption social worker has to find out as much as is possible to ensure that any child placed in a family will be safe and secure with a distinct chance of happiness.

These assessments might take a long time, each visit lasting between an hour and an hour and a half once a fortnight over a period of 4-6 months. In the time in between, the fostering and adoption social worker has to undertake full statutory checks of the family’s history with authorities such as the police, probation, education, NSPCC and the Department of Health.

Fostering and adoption social workers can be involved in offering support to the families such as a training programme in preparation for fostering or adoption. They also offer post adoptive or post fostering counselling, training and support as appropriate.

Fostering and adoption social workers also spend time in the office recording case work or writing assessment reports. They liaise with the child’s social worker and other professionals involved in the care of the child. They may also be asked to take part in a duty rota, where they are office-based and respond to general enquiries, as well as any emergencies, such as finding placements for children who need urgently to come into care.

Skills & Interests

Fostering and adoption social workers need to be:

• able to get on with people of all ages, especially children,
• diplomatic and sensitive,
• able to understand people and have empathy with them,
• good communicators,
• objective and knowledgeable about child protection,
• able to encourage people and build their self-confidence.

Entry Requirements

The professional qualifying training for social workers is a degree in social work approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC).

The degree is a three year programme and entrance is via approved universities, who determine their own conditions for entry.

The previous professional qualification, the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW), is still recognised as a valid social work qualification.

Those wishing to pursue a degree in social work will need GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics at grade C or above. Although universities will set their own conditions of entrance, possible useful A-level (or equivalent) subjects would be law, sociology or psychology. Vocational GCSEs and A-level subjects may also be useful.

More information about the new qualification is available on the General Social Care Council website.

More information about professional training in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can be found at the following websites:
Care Council for Wales
Scottish Social Services Council
Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Estimated salary range

£20,000 – £30,000 per year, possibly rising to £35,000+ for senior and managerial positions.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

With different training, fostering and adoption social workers may be able to move into other specialist areas of social work such as mental health, or child protection. Experienced social workers can progress to senior practitioner, team manager or care manager.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Caring For Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

General Social Care Council www.gscc.org.uk

Care Council for Wales www.ccwales.org.uk

Northern Ireland Social Care Council www.niscc.info

Scottish Social Services Council
www.sssc.uk.com

Skills for Care www.skillsforcare.org.uk

Social Work careers information www.socialworkcareers.co.uk

British Association of Social Workers www.basw.co.uk

Community Service Volunteers www.csv.org.uk/socialhealthcare

Follow this link for social services recruitment contacts within local councils in your area.

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under V.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Fostering & Adoption Social Worker vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.