The posting
Contract to start ASAP until 07-05-27 with a possible extension.
Full job description
Fostering Recruitment Team Manager – Hackney London
Contract: Temporary contract from 2 November 2026 to 7 May 2027
Lead Fostering Recruitment and Help Grow a Strong Pool of Foster Carers
We're recruiting an experienced Fostering Recruitment Team Manager to join Hackney London, based at 1 Hillman Street, London, E8 1DY.
This is a senior children's social care role responsible for leading the recruitment, assessment and development of prospective foster carers.
You'll manage a specialist fostering recruitment team, oversee recruitment activity, support high-quality assessments and help ensure Hackney has access to a strong, diverse and sustainable pool of foster carers who can meet the needs of children and young people.
About the Role
As Fostering Recruitment Team Manager, you'll provide operational leadership across fostering recruitment and related activity.
You'll support social workers and recruitment staff, monitor performance, oversee recruitment campaigns and ensure applicants receive a professional and supportive experience from initial enquiry through to assessment and approval.
What you'll be doing:
- Leading and managing the Fostering Recruitment Team
- Overseeing the recruitment and assessment of prospective foster carers
- Managing team workloads, priorities and performance
- Supporting high-quality fostering assessments and approval processes
- Monitoring recruitment activity, enquiries, conversions and outcomes
- Developing and implementing effective foster carer recruitment strategies
- Supporting targeted recruitment campaigns and community engagement
- Providing professional supervision and guidance to social workers and team members
- Reviewing complex cases and providing direction on next steps
- Ensuring fostering recruitment activity complies with legislation, regulations and statutory guidance
- Working closely with fostering panels and senior managers
- Supporting preparation for fostering panel and approval processes
- Building relationships with prospective and approved foster carers
- Working with marketing, communications and community partners
- Monitoring service performance and producing management information
- Identifying recruitment trends, gaps and areas for improvement
- Supporting retention and engagement activity where required
- Working collaboratively with children's social care and placement teams
- Promoting inclusive recruitment and a diverse foster carer population
- Contributing to wider fostering service improvement and strategic objectives
Requirements
We're looking for a qualified and experienced social work manager with strong fostering and recruitment experience.
You'll ideally have:
- A recognised Social Work qualification
- Current Social Work England registration
- Significant post-qualifying social work experience
- Strong experience within fostering services
- Experience in foster carer recruitment and assessment
- Previous team management or supervisory experience
- Good knowledge of fostering legislation, regulations and statutory guidance
- Experience overseeing fostering assessments
- Strong performance-management and service-improvement skills
- Experience supporting social workers with complex casework
- Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills
- Strong understanding of safeguarding and children's social care
- Experience working with fostering panels
- Ability to manage competing priorities and service pressures
- Previous local authority fostering experience would be highly desirable
- Eligibility to work in the UK
- Ability to provide relevant references/work history
- Ability to complete an enhanced DBS and other required pre-employment checks
Why Apply
- Senior fostering management opportunity with Hackney London
- Competitive Umbrella rate of £45.20 per hour
- Long-term temporary assignment through to May 2027
- Opportunity to lead a specialist fostering recruitment team
- Chance to shape recruitment strategy and improve foster carer capacity
- Meaningful role supporting better placement options for children and young people
- Opportunity to further develop local authority fostering leadership experience
Benefits
- Weekly Pay
- Company Pension
- Ongoing Agency Support
Additional Information
Client: Hackney London
Job Title: Fostering Recruitment Team Manager
Job Category: Social & Healthcare Qualified
Location: 1 Hillman Street, London, E8 1DY
Start Date: 2 November 2026
End Date: 7 May 2027
Contract Type: Temporary
Pay Rate: Umbrella: £45.20 per hour
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract
Pay: £45.20 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
Application question(s):
- Are you a qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration?
- Do you have significant experience within fostering services?
- Do you have experience recruiting and assessing prospective foster carers?
- Have you previously managed or supervised a fostering or children's social care team?
- Are you confident overseeing complex fostering assessments and panel processes?
- Are you able to reliably travel to 1 Hillman Street, London, E8 1DY?
- Are you available for this temporary assignment through to 7 May 2027?
Experience:
- Fostering Social Work: 3 years (required)
- Foster Carer Recruitment / Assessment: 2 years (required)
- Team Management / Supervision: 2 years (required)
- Local Authority Children's Services: 2 years (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Social Work England Registration (required)
- Recognised Social Work Qualification (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Disclaimer: On applying for this vacancy, you agree that your personal details will be passed onto our client for their consideration of your suitability for the role. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to notify iWork Recruitment Limited of any hirer who I do not want my details to be passed onto.
140371-11-26
