Fostering Support Worker

Hampshire County Council; Gosport; Sur place; GBP 17 000 - 22 000; Temps partiel

Résumé du poste

Hampshire Hives is seeking a Fostering Support Worker (Hive Carer) to coordinate and support foster families across the local Hive. You will strengthen fostering communities and work with carers and professionals to ensure the needs and best interests of children are central.

The role requires a current foster carer, willingness to travel within your Hive area, and strong communication skills to build supportive relationships with families and professionals.

Qualifications

• Must be a current foster carer, committed to continuing in this role.
• Ability to travel regularly within your local Hive area.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to build trusting relationships.
• Confident in offering emotional, practical, and peer support to foster carers.
• Organised, proactive and flexible with ability to respond to varied fostering situations.

Responsabilités

• Act as a key point of contact for foster families, providing advice, reassurance and problem solving.
• Promote peer support within the Hive by matching families for day or overnight care.
• Organise and lead events and activities, including support groups and family events.
• Work in the best interests of children and young people alongside social workers and professionals.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Hive model across the county.

Description du poste

Hampshire Hives are local networks of foster families who support one another to deliver outstanding care for children and young people. Each Hive brings carers together within a defined area, creating strong, connected communities built on shared experience and mutual support.

As a Fostering Support Worker (Hive Carer), you’ll coordinate and support foster families within your Hive. You’ll play a key role in strengthening local fostering communities, working closely with carers and professionals to ensure children’s needs and best interests remain central to everything you do.

What you’ll do:

• Act as a key point of contact for foster families: Help carers feel connected and supported by providing advice, reassurance, and assistance with problem solving.
• Promote peer support within the Hive: Help match families who can support one another with day or overnight care.
• Organise and lead events and activities: Plan and facilitate support groups, networking sessions, family events and one-to-one support.
• Work in the best interests of children and young people, alongside social workers and other professionals.
• Make a difference to fostering in Hampshire: Contribute to the ongoing development of the Hive model across the county.

What we’re looking for:

• A current foster carer, committed to continuing as an active foster carer alongside this role.
• Ability to travel regularly within your local Hive area to support foster families.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusting, supportive relationships.
• Confidence in offering emotional, practical, and peer support to foster carers.
• An organised, proactive and flexible approach, with the ability to respond to a wide range of fostering-related situations when carers require your support.
• A collaborative mindset, working positively alongside professionals to meet children’s needs.

Why join us?

• Help shape the future of fostering in Hampshire Work-life balance: Flexible working, with the freedom to choose your hours within the Hive’s operating times, 07:00-22:00, Monday to Saturday.
• Personal and Professional Development: Work closely with foster families in your area to build strong connections and discover new ways of meeting the needs of the young people in your care. Benefit from training delivered by colleagues and health professionals to further enhance your skills and experience.
• Paid travel: Claim business travel mileage from your office address.
• Employee support: Access to Health Assured's comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme to support your physical and mental wellbeing, including 24/7 telephone support, a suite of online resources, and legal and financial advice.
• Competitive benefits package: Including generous annual leave entitlement, occupational sick pay, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Working pattern:

This is a 25-hour-per-week role, with flexibility to choose working hours that fit around your family life, within core Hive hours (07:00 - 22:00, Monday - Saturday). We’re happy to discuss reduced hours or job-sharing arrangements - please don’t hesitate to get in touch to explore your options.

Applicants can expect to hear from us within two weeks of the advertised closing date.

Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role and therefore it is essential that you already have the right to work in the UK before applying.

Other roles you may have experience of may include: Family Support Worker, Young People Support Worker, Children's Support Worker, Foster Carer, Fostering Carer, Foster Parent, Adoption Support Worker.