Make a National Impact in Fostering Recruitment

Are you a passionate and experienced Social Work Manager with a background in fostering? Do you thrive on leadership, strategic thinking, and driving performance? If so, this could be your opportunity to lead a high-performing national team, shaping the future of fostering recruitment across Compass Fostering.

The Role

As our Group Head of Foster Carer Recruitment, you’ll be the strategic driving force behind our national foster carer recruitment efforts—from initial enquiry through to post-panel onboarding. You’ll lead a skilled team of recruitment and panel professionals, ensuring a high-quality, values-led service that meets KPIs and delivers outstanding results.

This is a senior leadership role offering variety, autonomy, and the chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable children by ensuring they are matched with the best possible foster carers.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead our end-to-end foster carer recruitment process across multiple regions
• Manage & mentor recruitment, panel, and assessment teams, promoting high performance and professional development
• Collaborate closely with marketing, operations, and retention teams to ensure a robust and sustainable carer pipeline
• Drive innovation in recruitment strategies, focusing on our “Potential not Perfection” ethos
• Represent Compass up to board level, contributing to operational and strategic decisions
• Ensure compliance with fostering regulations, safeguarding procedures, and internal policies

• Qualified and experienced Social Work Manager, with a strong background in the fostering sector
• Proven leadership experience in recruitment or assessment within a fostering setting
• Robust understanding of fostering panels, including their role, compliance requirements, and effective functioning
• Deep knowledge of the regulatory framework and best practice in foster carer recruitment
• Excellent communicator, collaborator, and mentor who inspires high standards
• Strategic thinker with operational agility and data-driven decision-making skills

Perks and benefits:

• Bonus opportunities based on performance.
• Cashback on medical treatments, including optical and dental with MediCash.
• Flexible working, including hybrid and flexible hours.
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 28 days within 4 years, plus all bank holidays.
• Additional 2.5 days each year for your birthday, a health and wellbeing day and a half day festive shopping day.
• Salary sacrifice schemes including childcare, tech and cycle to work.
• Life Assurance Scheme. Named beneficiaries qualify for 3x annual salary after successful completion of probationary.

The successful applicant will be appointed subject to satisfactory references.

Compass is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As we continue to grow, we know that we must have the most talented employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support our children and young people.

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