Specialist Foster Carers

Location: Yorkshire, East Midlands

The Role: Are you ready for a change? As a specialist foster carer with Team Fostering you could change the lives of children and young people who are ready to move on from residential care.

We’re seeking dependable and resilient foster carers who can offer a supportive and stable home for these young people. More and more children are in residential care simply because there aren’t enough foster carers to give them the nurturing family environment they need. You could help change that.

By joining Team Fostering, you’ll become part of a supportive community, working together to help young people build resilience, stability, and a sense of belonging.

Supporting this transition from residential care to a foster family home is incredibly rewarding for the right carers, but we recognise it comes with some unique challenges. So we provide an excellent package of support to guide you through the first year.

We are looking for:

• Strong team players who can work closely as part of a professional team, including in-home support up to 3x per week
• A reflective approach. We understand and value the strength that can come from diverse life experiences and are looking for people who have been able to learn and grow from their own unique journeys
• Resilience and the ability to stay reliable, safe, and committed during tough times.
• A strong interest in parenting approaches, child development, and the impact of trauma, loss, and attachment on children.
• Confidence with IT to keep young people safe online and access support for yourself.
• Willingness to travel to support school placements and other essential activities.

What we offer:

• Enhanced fee for the first 12 months: We provide a higher fee in the first 12 months to reflect the commitment to meetings and support required.
• 24/7 comprehensive support: We provide continuous support to help you succeed in your role. This includes access to peer support from other foster carers through support groups, activities and an annual holiday.
• Enhanced training and development: Including specialist training in Attachment and Trauma Informed practice
• Not-for-profit values: All resources go directly back into providing the best possible care for families, including an excellent program of activities, holidays, and educational support.
• 21 nights respite (Short Break Care): We understand the importance of maintaining your own well-being and provide enhanced support to ensure you have the time, space, and resources to take a break when it’s needed.

Essential Requirements:

• A spare bedroom.
• Availability to care for a child or young person 24/7 (applications from self-employed or part-time employed individuals are considered).
• Residency within Yorkshire or the East Midlands.
• If in a relationship, have been together for a minimum of 2 years
• Over 21 years of age.
• Access to regular, reliable transport.

Experience: Experience of caring for looked after children is highly desirable. However we recognise that experience can come in many different forms and welcome conversations with anyone who might be interested. If you are already a foster carer with another agency we can discuss transferring to Team Fostering with you. We also offer many other different types of fostering – please visit our website to find out more.

Payment Allowance: As a specialist foster carer for children moving on from residential care, you’ll receive our standard weekly fostering allowance £480.76 – £538.65, plus an additional enhancement allowance for the first 12 months to recognise the extra commitment needed to ensure a successful transition. After 12 months this will revert to our standard fostering allowance.

Please note: Foster carers registered with Team Fostering undertake the role on a self-employed basis and are subject to the fostering regulations.