Amy - Deputy Team Manager, Fostering Support Team

Supportive culture has made a huge difference to me

I have been part of the fostering service for 10 years.  The culture is transparent, open and supportive. The culture has been an important factor in my decision to work within the service for so long.

My managers have supported my progression

I have developed from ASYE to social worker, to senior social worker to Deputy Team Manager in the 10 years I’ve worked in the local authority.  I have been supported by all of my managers to progress.

The senior leadership team are approachable, solution-focused and supportive

Workload is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is manageable. There is ample opportunity for reflective supervision.  The training offer is varied, and includes in-house training, access to Fostering Network and Research in Practice CPD material. Training is offered in both face to face and online formats which helps me to manage my working time. My immediate manager and senior leadership team are approachable, solution-focused and supportive.

Agile working supports my work / life balance

My work life balance is good.  I live out of county but enjoy working with colleagues in the office regularly.  Agile working allows me to work from home to support productive admin days.

Seeing the positive impact we make is rewarding

My work is rewarding because within our team we have established relationships with children and foster carers.  This means that I get to see the positive impact of therapeutic parenting on the social, emotional and educational wellbeing of children.

I also see the positive impact of guidance and oversight from supervising social workers. This helps to create stability and security for children through the supervisory relationship between social workers and foster carers.

I love working in Gloucestershire

I enjoy working with a diverse range of communities.

What systemic practice means to me

Relationships are at the heart of systemic practice. Systemic practice within the fostering team helps us to understand children and their foster carers within a wide context.  This includes each inter-connected system of family life.  Viewing children, their parents and foster families within a systemic way helps us to understand what experiences make individuals who they are and how best we can support them. The systemic model of working promotes curiosity and reflection. This compliments the trauma-informed model of therapeutic parenting we promote for use by our foster carers.