Child Practitioner - Kinship Matters Support Worker

Job Introduction

About Us

The Kinship Matters team is set up to assess, support and advise Kinship carers for children who are Children We care for or are likely to become Children We Care For. Our primary focus is to support Kinship Carers to access help and support to gain Special Guardianship or permanent Orders for those Connected children in their care. In 2026 we will be taking over Special Guardianship Support.

About the Role

Your role would be to support Kinship carers through the process of gaining a permanent Order. You will receive training in delivering the Foster Carers Toolkit which is available to all foster carers and Oxfordshire’s bespoke behavioural management programme and be trauma informed

You will be part of educating carers in the reasons why children have come into LA care and would need to deliver training on issues such as domestic violence, substance misuse, financial management and trauma.

You will lead family network meetings, Kinship support groups and signpost Kinship carers to other agencies for help or support directly with issues such as housing or safety issues

You will also enable a smooth transition between being an assessed kinship carer through to becoming a Special Guardian carers and beyond.

About you

You will be experienced in working directly with parents/carers in delivering training and support within Children's social care

You will have an awareness of the CWCF system and the challenges faced by the Children that we have in our care

You will be personable and approachable and be able to maintain professional, safe boundaries.

You will value being a team player and be able to communicate to a high standard both verbally and in written form

Rewards and benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too. We are proud of our strong flexible working culture, including the opportunity for flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. We offer some of the very best learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.
 We have a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment with us up to 33 days, as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 19.9% of your salary; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies including carers leave and paid time off for volunteering.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact us at: fostering@oxfordshire.gov.uk