The role of the supervising social worker
Every fostering family has a dedicated supervising social worker to support them in their role as a foster carer. They work closely with foster carers, their household members (including their own children), the child in their care’s social worker, and other professionals. They are part of the wider team helping to make sure that everyone is working together, with the child at the centre. They make sure that the children in foster homes have what they need to feel safe, settled and supported alongside other professionals.
What do supervising social workers do?
- Supports the whole fostering household — they’ll speak with the foster carer’s children, listen to their views about fostering, and offer support where needed.
- Prepares and advocates — they’ll talk through a child’s needs before they join a foster family, attend meetings with foster carers, and help them navigate the fostering system.
- Checks in regularly — they provide monthly supervision visits to foster carers and offer support outside of this as needed. They will support foster carers to reflect on what’s going well, explore any challenges, and identify training or development opportunities.
- Offers practical advice — whether it’s a quick question or a bigger concern, the supervising social worker is there to help and can recommend other services to foster families too.
- Works through worries — if any issues come up, the supervising social worker will talk them through and work alongside other professionals. They will also help foster carers to find the right support.
- Celebrates achievements — supervising social workers and other professionals will celebrate the difference foster carers make to children’s lives and outcomes.
- Prepares key documents and supports reviews — supervising social workers undertake and write assessments, attend annual reviews with the fostering independent reviewing officer and support foster carers through their journey through fostering panel and beyond.
Further information
The supervising social worker will provide their contact details to the people they are working with so they can be contacted directly.
Read more about a day in the life of a supervising social worker.
