Foster Carers

Foster Carers

Foster carers required for children and young people aged from birth to eighteen years.

Allowance : Up to £400 per week
Working pattern: Flexible, but need to be available to provide carer appropriate to the age and level of need of fostered child or young person
Employment type: Foster carers are not employed but approved subject to an assessment. They receive an allowance for each period of care provided. Fostering is treated as a self-employment by HMRC and foster carers should register for self assessment.
Location: Work from your own home. Applicants should live in or very close to Richmond borough. Support provided by the Fostering Team, 42 York Street, Twickenham TW1 3BW

Foster carers provide homes to children aged from birth up to 18 and sometimes beyond. Most carers specify an age range that they feel comfortable and confident looking after and that also fits in with their life and other commitments. We understand that not everyone can deal with every situation and people have different strengths – we encourage carers to really think about what they can manage and it is OK to say no!

Obviously foster carers provide a home to children, but they also do so much more. Carers provide role models to young people, they encourage them with schooling, they help them build and maintain positive relationships with their family members, they make sure that they are healthy and receive the support they need in all areas of life. Foster carers are a central part of a network of professionals who work with young people and help them achieve the best they can in life.

Anyone who has the time, patience, commitment and space in their home and life can be a foster carer. We need a diverse range of placements to meet the wide range of needs of our children. So whatever your ethnic background and whether you are married, single, gay, straight, employed, or not, with or without your own children you could potentially offer a home to a child who really needs it.

Foster carers are offered on going guidance from the fostering team, with access to a wide range of training opportunities and peer support. Foster carers are assessed by social workers in the Fostering Team and approved by a Panel. CRB and other statutory checks are completed and all applicants are required to provide references and have a medical clearance.

Please contact the Fostering Team for an informal discussion and further information on 0800 085 7072 or 020 8891 7423. Or visit our website for further information http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/health_and_social_care/children_and_family_care/fostering.htm

Closing date: Ongoing

Application Information

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