Senior Social Worker - Fostering Team

Senior Social Worker – Fostering Team
(London Borough of Barnet)

Pay Rate: Up to £39.04 per hour
Hours: 36 hours per week, hybrid working (3 days office-based)
Contract: Locum

About the Role

The London Borough of Barnet is seeking an experienced Senior Social Worker to join its Fostering Team on a locum basis. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a service dedicated to providing stable, nurturing, and supportive homes for children in care.

You’ll be responsible for assessing, supervising, and supporting foster carers to ensure placements meet the emotional and developmental needs of children. The role also involves contributing to recruitment and training initiatives and ensuring compliance with fostering regulations and standards.

With hybrid working (3 days in the office and 2 from home), you’ll benefit from both team collaboration and flexibility.

Key Responsibilities

  • Undertake assessments of prospective foster carers using the Form F framework.
  • Provide supervision, support, and ongoing training to approved foster carers.
  • Contribute to matching children with suitable foster placements.
  • Prepare clear, evidence-based reports for fostering panels and reviews.
  • Work closely with children’s social workers, health, and education professionals.
  • Promote high standards of safeguarding and care across the fostering service.
  • Maintain accurate case records using Mosaic, Barnet’s case management system.

Practice Model & System Used

Barnet uses the Family Safeguarding Model, a strengths-based and multidisciplinary approach that focuses on keeping families together safely wherever possible. This model encourages collaborative working, empowering families to make positive changes and build resilience.

All recording and case management are completed on Mosaic, supporting integrated and efficient multi-agency practice.

Requirements

  • Qualified Social Worker with Social Work England registration.
  • Experience within Fostering or Children in Care services.
  • Strong assessment, analytical, and communication skills.
  • Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with carers and colleagues.
  • Confidence using electronic case management systems (Mosaic experience desirable).

Benefits

  • Competitive locum rate – up to £39.04 per hour.
  • Full-time contract – 36 hours per week.
  • Hybrid working (3 days office-based).
  • Supportive and reflective management culture.
  • Opportunity to contribute to positive outcomes for children in Barnet.

About Barnet

Located in North London, Barnet is one of the capital’s most sought-after boroughs — offering excellent schools, green spaces, and a strong sense of community. From the open countryside of Hadley Wood to the vibrant town centres of Finchley and Edgware, Barnet offers a fantastic quality of life with easy transport links into Central London.

The Council has a reputation for innovative, family-focused practice and continuous investment in its workforce, making it an ideal place to live, work, and develop your social work career.

Interested?

If you’d like to apply, please email your CV to dmitchell@sheldon-phillips.com
or click the Apply button.

Questions?
Call me on 07561 805654 and I’ll be happy to talk things through.