Foster Carer

Salford Council; Salford; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekly fostering allowances tax free

Therapeutic training

24/7 on-call support

Dedicated fostering social worker

Peer support groups

Family-style support networks

Development and specialist training

Membership of The Fostering Network

Job summary

Salford Council invites applications for Enhanced Fostering Carer roles in Salford. You will provide a stable, nurturing home for children and work with social workers and education professionals to support education, health and emotional development.

If you have experience in care, education or health services and can offer time, empathy and resilience, apply to join a coordinated team that values carers and supports ongoing training.

Qualifications

• Experience in care, education or health services
• Ability to provide time, space, availability and empathy
• Strong communication and teamworking skills
• Willingness to work with children with enhanced care needs

Responsibilities

• Provide a stable, safe, and nurturing home environment.
• Support the child’s education, healthcare, and emotional development.
• Advocate for the child and amplify their voice.
• Facilitate time with birth family.
• Work as part of a team with social workers, teachers, and other professionals
• Help a child heal and thrive after trauma

Skills

Emotional resilience

Trauma understanding

Communication skills

Empathy

Boundary setting

Job description

Join Our Vibrant Service as a Foster Carer for children with enhanced care needs

Up to £42,848 per annum (made up of weekly skills payment and weekly basic allowances per week tax free, per child per week)

We are looking for a professional who can change a life, where you can really make a difference? Using your professional experience in a different way.

A life-changing role for someone with your experience.

Could you offer a local child or children a secure and nurturing home?

We are looking for Foster Carers who can provide care for children and young people in Salford with enhanced care needs. These children need more than just good care they need time, patience, understanding, and someone who won’t give up on them. Sometimes their enhanced care needs may be short term, for others they are long term.

If you’ve worked in residential childcare, youth work, special education, social work, CAMHS, counselling, or similar fields your experience is highly valued here.

What Is Enhanced Fostering?

Enhanced fostering is for children aged up to 18yrs who may have experienced multiple moves, trauma, or disruption in their lives. They will do well with in family alongside other children or with their siblings, sometimes they may also have a sibling who also has enhanced care needs or one that doesn’t, the role is key, a therapeutic figure in their recovery and development.

You’ll work closely with professionals, helping young people to stabilise, rebuild trust, and move forward with confidence.

Do you have these skills?

If you’ve worked in care, education or health services or raised children of your own you may already have many of the skills we need:

• Emotional resilience and a calm approach in stressful situations
• Understanding of trauma, attachment, or behaviour support
• Experience supporting children with mental health, SEN, or complex needs
• Strong communication and teamworking skills
• An ability to set boundaries and build trusting, consistent relationships
• Most importantly, time, space, availability, and empathy

You must have a spare bedroom and live in or near Salford.

What the Role Involves:

• Providing a stable, safe, and nurturing home environment.
• Supporting the child’s education, healthcare, and emotional development.
• Advocating for the child and amplifying their voice.
• Facilitating time with birth family.

Working as part of a team with social workers, teachers, and other professionals

Helping a child heal and thrive after trauma

What You’ll Receive:

• You’ll be valued as a professional and supported every step of the way:
• Weekly fostering allowances tax free
• Full preparation and therapeutic training
• 24/7 on-call support service
• Regular supervision from your own dedicated fostering social worker
• Peer support groups and buddying with other carers
• Access to family-style support networks
• Family activities, social events and carer groups
• Ongoing development and specialist training
• Membership of The Fostering Network
• Blue Light Card and Company Shop membership

Why Choose Salford?

Salford’s Fostering Team is known for its close-knit community of carers and responsive professional support. You’ll never feel alone in this role you’ll be part of a team that wraps around both you and the child in your care. We have annual celebrations of children’s achievements, foster carer awards, foster care birth children groups.

Whether you’re leaving shift work, looking to change roles, or want to make a difference from home, this is your opportunity to take on a professionally supported, purpose-driven role that changes lives including your own.