Enquiry Officer (Fostering) OCC616212

Job details

Salary range: £26,873.00 - £28,770.00 pro-rata, per annum (actual salary £13,346.50 - £14,385.00 per annum) 

Work location: Ron Groves House, Kidlington

Hours per week: 18.5  - we are open to discussions about flexible working  

Contract type: Temporary until July 2025

Vetting requirements: This role is subject to a criminal records check

Closing date: Monday 27th May 2024

Interview date: To be confirmed 

About us

Working together to help Children, young people, and families to thrive. 

Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which will enable us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice.  We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better.   

In our Children, Education, & Families Directorate, we do our very best to help children, young people, and families to thrive. We know the importance of building relationships, empowering people, and building on strengths and this is reflected in our restorative, relational practice approach.  

We’ve been consistently rated as “good” by Ofsted, but we are not content with that; we are ambitious and want to do even better! Oxfordshire County Council is a financially stable local authority which is committed to investing in Children, Education, and Families, to ensure that we have the resources we need to make a real difference to the families we work with.   

About the role and the team

Working with children and families is more than just a job – its your chance to make a real difference and help shape the lives of future generations in Oxfordshire.  

We have an exciting, fixed term/secondment opportunity within the Countywide Fostering Recruitment Team for an Enquiry Officer until July 2025. The Recruitment Team have responsibility for assessing, training, supporting, and promoting the role of foster carers in Oxfordshire.  

The Team will have responsibility for assessing, training, supporting, and promoting the role of foster carers in Oxfordshire.  

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This post-holder will:  

• Be the first port of call to any prospective foster carers, completing enquiries and booking initial home visits   
• Send out and follow up foster carers application forms and medicals   
• Maintain records, data and administrative tasks to support the teams function  
• Support the team with events to recruit foster carers  
• Contribute to the running of the Recruitment Fostering Team.  
• Support with the organisation of the Skills to Foster programme   
• Contribute to the overall function of the Countywide Fostering Recruitment Team contribute to the management of the Fostering Recruitment Team.  
• Support with Oxfordshire’s involvement in the South-East Regionalisation recruitment programme, which will soon be going live.   

About you

We would like to hear from you if you are…  

• Kind and caring, with an understanding of and respect for individuals’ qualities, abilities, and diverse backgrounds.   
• Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do.  
• Always learning, with a passion to grow and develop your skills.  
• Willing to take responsibility and contribute to the delivery of Oxfordshire County Council’s vision.    
• Driven to do it differently to embark on a journey of continuous improvement.  
• You will have an interest in fostering and safeguarding. You will care about the quality of foster care provided to Oxfordshire's most vulnerable children and be motivated and committed to providing quality community engagement, interaction and service delivery as part of the Fostering Service.   

You will have an interest in fostering and safeguarding. You will care about the quality of foster care provided to Oxfordshire's most vulnerable children and be motivated and committed to providing quality community engagement, interaction and service delivery as part of the Fostering Service. 

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You will also have:  

 • Willingness to work directly with prospective foster carers and the community  

• Experience and passion in customer service.   

• Experience of managing tricky calls and contributing to decision making.    

• Willingness to work as part of a team.   

• Ability to maintain and update figures, data and records.   

• Ability to support a wider team with organisational and administrative tasks.   

The role is based in our Kidlington office, and you would be working alongside a supportive team who are passionate about recruiting the right foster carers for our Oxfordshire children.   

Rewards and benefits

• Competitive salary from £26,873 - £28,770 (£13,346.50 - £14,385 pro rata) per annum  
• Annual leave starting at 28 days per year (plus bank holidays)   
• A comprehensive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).  
• Flexible working.   
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support 24 x7.  
• Range of family friendly policies.  
• Childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, electric car scheme, range of staff discounts including travel, holidays, insurance, food, health & leisure activities.   
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.  
• Explore more here  

Would you like to know more?

Please click here to view the Job Description and Selection Criteria 

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact  Kate Chapman – Team Manager (fostering) on kate.chapman@oxfordshire.gov.uk 

Application Procedure

Simply send us your CV to Brenda.buttimer@oxfordshire.gov.uk and Julie.mcnally@oxfordshire.gov.uk or click ‘Apply Now’. Make sure you read the Job description first! It’s that simple and quick!  

To apply, please complete an online application form by clicking either of the Apply Now buttons at the top and bottom of this advert. This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the selection criteria, as specified in the job posting. You may attach a cover letter and/or CV to your application form, however it is not mandatory.   

If you encounter any issues with the maximum character count on your application form, please use this tool to check your text for any hidden HTML characters, which may be taking it over the limit.  

If you experience any technical difficulties whilst completing the application form, please contact the Recruitment Team using Recruitment Application Enquiry Form.  

If you require the application form in an alternative format as part of a reasonable adjustment at this stage of the recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team using Recruitment Application Enquiry Form.