Team Fostering | A career as a foster carer

01 September 2019

By: Team Fostering

This month we’re celebrating our agency and why foster carers, children, young people and staff take pride in Team Fostering as an agency to call home.

So… why become a foster carer? Research shows many people aren’t aware that fostering is a viable career choice and a job like no other. The role is challenging and should not be taken on lightly or without careful consideration, but it is an extremely rewarding job that allows you to truly make a difference. Team Fostering foster carers have very different professional, educational and personal backgrounds. You can become a foster carer regardless of professional background, however we often receive lots of enquiries from those with relevant skills developed in previous roles, for example nursing, teaching, police-work and other care or child-focused professions.

To launch our campaign we’re highlighting our top reasons you should consider a career in fostering with Team Fostering, developed by current carers, staff and young people:

You will be truly making a difference to the lives of children and young people in need of a loving and caring home. You will be able to take pride in knowing that what you do each day is life-changing.
You will become part of a team that puts children’s futures at the heart of everything it does. Team Fostering is a not-for-profit agency which allows it to be child-focused and offer a range of programmes and schemes that reflect this.
Working with our other foster carers will allow you to build professional and personal relationships with like-minded individuals. Not only will this be invaluable for peer support in your role, but many of our foster carers have become firm lifelong friends who enjoy spending time together both in and outside of Team Fostering.
You will open the door to further training opportunities, as we provide all carers with an extensive training programme facilitated by internal specialists and external experts, contributing to your continuous professional development.
The role will usually offer a higher degree of flexibility in terms of your location. You will mainly be working at home while you look after children and young people, however you'll need to be able to take children to/from school and any to meetings with social work professionals and sometimes their family members. While many of our foster carers enjoy being able to carry out the role at home, it does mean that your home is likely to be used as a base for meetings such as your supervision sessions, and occasionally you'll experience an ‘unannounced visit.’
You will be doing something amazing and you will be supported for that. Team Fostering pays foster carers weekly fees (click here for further information) which include a fee for the role itself, and a fee to cover the costs of looking after a child. Alongside training and benefits, you will have access to 24/7 support from your local team who know you. You will have a dedicated social worker who will provide continued support and access to monthly support meetings, activities and education support for help liaising with schools and managing educational issues.

These are just some of the reasons that others have chosen to join Team Fostering. If you'd like to learn more about any of the above or have any additional questions you'd like to ask us about becoming a foster carer, you can contact us in the following ways: