The Role of a Supervising Social Worker in Foster Care

One of the things we pride ourselves on here at Capstone Foster Care is the support we are able to offer our foster carers and the children in their care.

When a child comes into foster care, they have a social worker who is linked to the local authority. They also have a supervising social worker who is employed by Capstone. Once a foster carer is approved by our agency, we assign them with a supervising social worker who will give them support, advice and guidance throughout their journey with a foster child and who will also advocate for foster carers and children when needed. This is a key relationship in ensuring a successful foster care placement.

There will be periods of time when less support is needed and times when intense support is needed and a supervising social worker will adapt to that need. We are careful that our supervising social workers always have a manageable case load, which is why we are able to offer 24/7 support to our foster carers and is something that also enables our supervising social workers to get to know our foster carers and the children in their care individually so well.

What’s it like being a supervising social worker?

“I've always wanted to work in fostering. I feel like it’s the nice side of social work and I love seeing the difference that a little love, care and positive attention a good family can give to these children. I try to support my carers as much as I possibly can because I know that their job is 24/7. They don't switch off at 5pm. Some are up through the night dealing with night terrors and making a child feel safe enough to sleep. I love the journey through from seeing a child being placed with carers to either seeing them settle long term or watching their transition back to a parent/s who have worked with professionals to be the best that their child or children need. The absolute best part however is seeing these children feel loved, respected and given the chance to achieve. I love it when a child who has never thought about what they wanted to be when they grow up suddenly have a plan, whether they want to be a police officer, a gamer or superman!!”  
Angela Pye, Supervising Social Worker at Capstone

Training to become a supervising social worker

There are many paths that can be taken in social work. We also offer support to student social workers looking for experience in foster care. Here’s what Faith, a student social worker said about her placement at Capstone Foster Care and the support she received from supervising social worker, Helen:

“I found placement supervisor, Helen, to be very approachable and this helped me in having a good working relationship with her. She advised and guided me in my work responsibilities and was always available for me if I had any questions. I found her to be very professional in her work with foster carers. I have learnt a lot from observing her interacting with the carers as well as the foster children. In the professional meetings, she advocated for the carers, which is in line with the responsibilities of a supervising social worker. Helen was also very patient in answering questions which I had. This was very useful for me to understand the rationale behind whatever I was working on.”

If you’re looking for a new role as a supervising social worker, take a look at our current vacancies here.

If you are looking to become a foster carer, or you are currently a foster carer with another agency looking for that extra individual support, don’t hesitate to get in touch.