Director of Practice and Innovation

About The Fostering Network
The Fostering Network is the UK’s leading fostering charity. We are dedicated to creating a better future for fostered children and young people. We bring together everyone who is involved in their lives, leading, inspiring, motivating and supporting them to make foster care better. Together with our members and supporters we are a powerful catalyst for change, and we have been shaping and influencing the fostering agenda for 50 years.  

The Role
This is an exceptional opportunity for a high calibre professional with senior leadership experience to join our fantastic organisation.  This post is one of three UK directors, working with the CEO to deliver on our organisational strategic objectives.  The post will drive forward practice improvements across the sector and ensure continuous improvement through innovative models of practice.  A key responsibility for the post holder is to ensure that our services and products are sector leading, evidence-based and child centred.

About you
We are looking for someone with extensive practice experience of the fostering sector to lead our practice directorate.  A strategic thinker, collaborative, with excellent leadership skills and a wide range of practice experience.  You will be a member of a senior leadership team or looking to progress your career to this level.  You will bring a track record of delivering excellent outcomes in the field of social work, with a passion for continuous improvement in foster care and for care experienced children and young people.
Full details of the role can be found in the JD and Person Specification 

1
Director for UK Practice & Innovation

Core purpose of job:
To be a member of the Senior Leadership Team, focused on delivering the vision and strategic
objectives of The Fostering Network (TFN); with shared and specific responsibility for key areas listed
below:
Key areas of responsibility:
1. Strategic management and leadership at a UK level.
2. Ensure that TFN is the leading centre of excellence promoting and supporting good practice
across the fostering community in the UK.
3. Drive TFN’s internal and external Learning Development strategy and operations.
4. Manage delivery of TFN’s advice and information services across the UK, including our
contractual delivery of Fosterline(s) across all four countries.
5. Develop and deliver TFN’s national publications strategy.
6. Development of TFN’s practice service offer to our members, including Independent Support,
Advice and Mediation, Annual Review chairing and Panel Advising.
7. Oversight of current and future innovative TFN programmes across the UK including
Mockingbird, Step-up, Step Down, Fostering Wellbeing and Fostering Attainment and
Achievement.
8. Identify potential for innovation and collaboration across the UK.
9. Engage and grow the individual and corporate membership of TFN; and maintain the
organisation’s position as the leading fostering charity in the UK.
10.Safeguarding lead for the organisation
Position reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Position is responsible for:
Head of Learning and Development
Head of Information and Resources
Head of Independent Support (Practice Services)

2
Head of Mockingbird
Head of Step Up Step Down

Main Duties:
1. Strategic Management and Leadership
Play an active leadership role in the strategic management of TFN, supporting the Chief
Executive and Board of Trustees to deliver improved outcomes for the fostering community
across the UK.
Work collaboratively and professionally with other members of the Senior Leadership Team to
achieve agreed goals as a team.
Provide effective leadership to a large directorate, working in a strengths based, solutions
focused approach.
Contribute to the development of, and champion quality assurance and quality improvements
across the organisation.
Attend and contribute to meetings of the Board of Trustees, providing verbal and written
information and reports when required.
Undertake other duties/projects as directed by the Chief Executive.
2. Ensure that TFN is the leading centre of excellence promoting and supporting good
practice across the fostering community in the UK.
Develop and lead a practice strategy across the UK reflecting current evidence base, policy
and legislation in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Embed appropriate knowledge and understanding of good practice within all teams across
TFN including the Board of Trustees.
Develop and embed approaches to ensure effective interlinkage and sharing of good practice
between all service areas within the directorate and across the organisation to inform our
campaigns and policy direction.
Work with colleagues to ensure that TFN is the first port of call for all individuals and agencies
seeking up to date information on fostering policy and practice.
Generate additional income for TFN by offering and providing exceptional learning and
development services to external agencies; producing sector leading publications; providing
consistent, high quality consultancy and a wide range of practice services.
3. Drive TFN’s internal and external Learning Development strategy and operations
Oversee TFN’s Learning and Development strategy and operations to ensure good practice is
understood and shared consistently across the UK.
Ensure the knowledge capital within TFN is maximised to develop a range of income
generating courses, workshops, conferences and seminars to share good fostering practice.
Build TFN’s reputation as a sector leading learning provider across the UK.
Develop and grow TFN’s consultancy services across the UK.
Develop and oversee the process for ensuring internal training needs analysis of staff across
the organisation, ensuring effective professional growth of our staff team in connection with
delivering on our mission and strategic objectives.
Line Manage the Head of Learning and Development.
4. Manage delivery of TFN’s advice and information services across the UK
Oversee the Fosterline service delivered in each nation, ensure contractual management and
target delivery requirements are met.
Develop and oversee improved delivery of advice and information services for our members
who fall outside of the accessibility restrictions in place under our Fosterline contracts.
Ensure the advice and information services meet key information standards, are aligned to our
strategic vision and mission, and are consistent (as far as possible) in their application across
all four nations.
Line Manage the Head of Information and Resources
5. Develop and deliver TFN national publications strategy
Oversee the development of a publications strategy across the UK which will meet the needs
of the fostering community and generate additional income for TFN.
Ensure effective control of intellectual property, and effective balance between public
information, member information, and external product development.
6. Development of TFN’s practice service offer to our members, including; Independent
Support, Advice and Mediation, Annual Review chairing and Panel Advising.
Review current delivery contracts and embed their purpose into a wider practice strategy for
the UK.
Grow and develop this area of our service delivery to ensure it reflects our vision and mission
and responds to the needs of the sector.
Line Manage Head of Practice Services.
7. Oversight of current and future innovative TFN programmes across the UK including
Mockingbird, Step-up, Step Down, Fostering Wellbeing and Fostering Attainment and
Achievement
Oversee the management and expansion of the Mockingbird Programme.
Oversee the management and expansion of the Step-up, Step Down Programme.
4
Oversee and investigate opportunities for expansion of the Fostering Wellbeing programme in
Wales.
Oversee and explore opportunities for the expansion of the Fostering Attainment and
Achievement programme in Northern Ireland.
Develop and embed effective processes to ensure the interlinkage and sharing of good
practice between all current and future programmes within TFN delivery.
Maintain high level relationships for programme funding with statutory funders and ensure that
all service level agreements and outcomes to deliver programmes are met.
8. Identify potential for innovation and collaboration across the UK
Work with colleagues to promote learning and outcomes of TFN successful programmes.
Identify potential partners across UK for the expansion of TFN programmatic work.
Keep abreast of all new initiatives within fostering including innovative practice and ensure that
TFN is in a position to maximise partnership and funding opportunities across all four nations.
9. Engage and grow the individual and corporate membership of TFN; and maintain the
organisation’s position as the leading fostering charity in the UK
Support the development and implementation of a UK wide, cross directorate, Membership
and Engagement strategy in collaboration with the Director for Engagement and Influencing.
Ensure the collective priority to maintain and grow the membership of TFN is understood,
actioned and respected.
Develop and strengthen the culture of membership engagement within TFN ensuring staff and
trustees value and respond to the needs of membership in determining its objectives.
Ensure that TFN offers consistent, proactive, support to members which is efficient and
responsive, utilising latest technology and quality assured customer service standards.
10.Safeguarding lead for the organisation
Oversee the work of our internal Safeguarding Oversight and Reference Group (SORG).
Monitor and ensure compliance with our safeguarding responsibilities, including effective risk
assessment, reporting, advising and evaluating.
Oversee, advise and guide our four country lead safeguarding officers to support them in their
role.

Key competencies required for the role
Essential
• Ability to work as a collaborative leader to meet wider corporate objectives of TFN
• In-depth, current knowledge and understanding of foster care practice and children’s social
care across the UK
• Experience of working within statutory local authority social services department(s)
• Experience of strategic planning and programme management including managing budgets
• Experience of effective working with key government officials and a broad range of key
stakeholders
• Experience of effective leadership, line management and supervision
• Experience of delivering effective, successful change management
• Commitment and understanding of devolution and working across the UK to maximise
consistency and parity for the fostering community
• Ability to develop successful relationships and work in partnership with external agencies
• Experience of successful income generation as it applies to the charity sector
• Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Commitment to the core values, vision and mission of TFN
Desirable
• Experience of working within or closely with the independent or third sector
• Experience of managing the delivery of training, consultancy, publications, advice and
information services in fostering or a relevant sector
• Experience of working across a national or UK wide remit
• Care experienced or lived experience of foster care
Qualifications & minimum requirements for the role
• Social work degree or equivalent level social work qualification
• Management qualification or evidence of effective management and leadership skills
• Social Worker registration with a relevant social care body (SWE / SCW / NISCC / SSSC)
• Significant practice experience within the fostering sector as a practitioner and manager
• Safeguarding qualification or evidence of sound safeguarding practice and knowledge base

For an informal discussion regarding this role please contact Sarah Thomas CEO sarah.thomas@fostering.net