Supervising social workers

A Supervising Social Worker (SSW) will be based in one of the five Support to Permanence Locality teams. These are: Central, Chorley West Lancashire, Lancaster North Fylde and Wyre, Burnley Pendle and finally Hyndburn Rossendale Ribble Valley.

A Supervising Social Worker will be the allocated social worker for the approved foster carers (those having received a positive recommendation from the fostering panel and Agency Decision Maker (ADM). A Supervising social worker will support and supervise approved Foster Carers within their fostering role. They have statutory responsibilities to undertake certain meetings, foster carers reviews, announced supervisions and unannounced visits.

A typical day in the life of a supervising social worker 

Before my working day starts:

7:00am - Turn phone on in the morning, read emails and see that a foster carer has agreed to a new emergency placement out of hours.  Read through the attached information as much as I can but need to get a move on, get ready and prepare for leaving the house. 

8:15am – It's before working hours but I know the foster carers will have been up for a while and are likely to take the call. Ring them regarding the new placement on the way to the office (hands-free in the car). They feel OK and are able to care for the child but have further questions about the child's health which I agree to clarify further with the child's social worker. I can hear the sound of the rest of the household getting ready in the background, they have a warm and welcoming home and I know they will have done their best to settle the child in. 

My working day:

8:40am – Arrive at the office ready to start at 8:45am. Make a brew to wash down a quick breakfast snack. Log in to the computer, try to ring Child's social worker but they aren't available at the moment, send an email re health information required for my carer and request that a Placement Planning Meeting is organised within 5 working days. Children's Social Care will chair this meeting which takes place when a new placement is made. The Fostering Service will support you with this meeting.

Spend time responding to emails which often come from foster carers and Children's Social Worker's during the evening. Speak to the finance team to ensure that the new placement has been set up properly for carer to receive payments. Add to my to-do list for other paperwork and unannounced visit that will be needed for the new placement.

09:10am - A foster carer rings, they would like to complete some online training and request support to access this. I release the training for them. Record on their training file. 

09:25am - Phone rings again, another foster carer reporting that a young person has just gone missing, provide them with support and reassurance, ensure they have reported this to the police and the Child's social worker. Start an OFSTED notification form as every Missing From Home episode needs to be logged. Don’t have time to record all of this yet as Team Brief is about to start. Add to to-do list. 

9:30am - Team brief. The team discuss management updates and the current permanence placements being sought. As a team we spend time planning upcoming support groups for foster carers.

11:30am - After team brief, come back to missed calls and emails. Respond to as many as possible. A child's social worker also comes through the office to speak to me about a child currently having difficulties in school, placed with a foster carer, we agree some further support that can be offered. I know that all discussions via phone, email and direct should to be written up, this will need to wait.

Invited to a Child Looked After review last minute for this afternoon. I am mindful that the carer will ideally need support at this meeting. I push back a pre-arranged supervision with another foster carer in order to accommodate this. I feel lucky that my foster carers are understanding of the pressures in the job. 

12:30pm – Quick lunch, eat a homemade sandwich and crisps in the car on the way to the Child Looked After review, 30 minutes from the office.

1:00pm - Quick wipe down outside the car to remove the crumbs! The foster carer has come well prepared with a list of information to share in the review, pleased to see the carers are organised. Provide support with contact proposals with the birth parents.

2:00pm – Set off to the pushed back supervision which is another 30 minute drive away. Phone pinging away in bag with lots of emails coming through.

2:28pm – Receive a call from duty to discuss a potential match for another carer. Discuss the details and consider potential risks. Agree for duty to contact carer due to going in to another visit imminently.

2:30pm – Supervision visit. The foster carers are managing a permanence placement. The child has been with the family for several years but is entering puberty and difficulties have arose with peer relationships. Provide them with support and emotional containment. A much needed brew was enjoyed! Collected 3 months' worth of daily logs to read.

4:30pm – Drive to another carer to complete an unannounced visit when the children are home from school. Spend time speaking to the carers and older children individually. Had a cuddle with their baby placement, a perk of the job! The little girl had been withdrawing from substances at birth but is now thriving in her placement and gives lots of smiles. She is very entertained by the other children in the placement.

After my working day has finished

5:30pm – Check in with the foster carer that took the new placement. Ensure that they are still OK and have been provided with the relevant signed paperwork that they need. They appear to be managing well but I have agreed to put in some support for them from the fostering advice line this evening. Agree to ring them again tomorrow to see how the second night has been and confirm the date and time of the Placement Planning Meeting.

5:45pm - Schedule an advice line call for the carer for later this evening and email Children's Social Worker to chase up organising a Placement Planning Meeting.

7:00pm – Read daily logs before having tea, the foster carer has captured the child's daily activities really well despite knowing they have challenges. Afterwards spend time catching up with other half. It's a busy job but I am very proud of the foster carers and enjoy seeing the difference they make to the children. No two days are ever the same!

Please note:

Core working hours are 08:45 to 17:00. The 'day in the life' above illustrates how a typical day might appear for a social worker but workers will only be available between core hours unless they are undertaking specifically agreed visits or support groups.

See the three minute briefing on support for details of after hours support (8).