Salary: Voluntary position - 45p per mile plus expenses Location: Bromsgrove Contract: Zero Hours Hours: Part Time - Up to 40 hours per year, meeting approx. 5-6 meetings per year of 3-4 hours Closing: 1 August 2023 The Children's Family Trust, (CFT), is a well established Registered Charity and an Independent Fostering Agency. We provide a wide and varied range of foster placements and have historically specialised in long term 'Family for Life' placements. We firmly believe our Foster Carers and Staff are our most valuable resource deserving the highest levels of support and remuneration we can offer. We work in partnership with Local Authorities Social Workers committed to keeping our children safe and secure in stable and loving families.
Our Trustees offer strategic leadership to the CFT, achieved through meetings, offering their specialist skills, knowledge and experience, attending events, being advocates for the Charity and supporting larger strategic areas of work, such as business planning. We are now looking to enhance our Board of Trustees and diversify the talent we currently have. We are particularly interested in hearing from former Looked After Children as well as candidates that meet the requirements detailed below. The skills and experience of successful candidates would include some of the following:
We are looking for people that share our values and will be able to commit the time (approximately 8 hours every 2 months), attending meetings during the working day at various venues in the UK, we have Regions in the North East, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands and South Central. You would be required to attend an annual away day team building event, be actively involved, reading papers, emails etc and able to commit to at least two years service. In return you have the opportunity to have a positive impact on children and young people's lives at a time when they need support. The opportunity to contribute to the development of the CFT Family and develop skills in a range of areas including Governance, Employment, Equal Opportunities and fundraising. The CFT is an equal opportunities employer and committed to promoting the welfare and safeguarding of children and young people, ensuring they are kept safe. As you will be in an environment which involves child protection and working with Looked After Children, you will be required to have a DBS certificate, which the CFT will undertake. The role is also subject to satisfactory references and background checks. Full details and application documents here In this guest post, Peter Stamford of Moor Mortgages, who we previously interviewed as part of our Transferrable skills series (read the interview here) provides guidance for Foster Carer’s looking to remortgage in the next year. Also included is practical advice & recent changes to government support for those struggling with rising mortgage costs. Starting this week, the government has made some changes to help homeowners who are having a tough time because of rising mortgage rates. Big banks like NatWest, Nationwide, and Barclays (and a lot of the smaller ones too) will now let people change how they pay back their home loans. They can either pay less now for 6 months, or take longer to pay back the loan. The good news is, doing this won’t hurt their credit scores, which are really important for things like getting loans in the future. It has been agreed that people can make these changes without any questions asked. But, it’s important to understand that changing the way you pay your mortgage can mean you might end up paying more over time. Here’s why: when you only pay the interest on your mortgage and not the actual loan, your monthly payments will be less. But when you switch back to paying the loan, you’ll have less time left to pay the rest of the money you owe. This will mean bigger payments each month after the initial 6 months has finished. The other option is to take more time to pay back your loan, but this means you will end up paying more in interest. There’s also a new rule, called the Mortgage Charter, which protects homeowners from losing their homes for a year if they can’t make their payments. However, this rule doesn’t apply to all lenders, and some homeowners won’t be protected. It can be tricky to know what’s best, and is different for each person. But if you have any questions or want any details explained further feel free to get in touch. I’m always happy to talk. In the meantime I made a handy booklet for Foster Carers who are remortgaging in the next year. It lays out what you could be doing at each season leading up to your remortgage date. By Peter Stamford of Moor Mortgages Access Peter’s booklet here in our Resource Centre and if you would like professional mortgage advice from someone who truly understands a Foster Carer’s unique situation, get in touch with Peter here, or call 01434 307744 Source: https://thecft.org.uk/news/the-foster-carer-mortgage-guide/ For those new to Fostering, Foster Care Fortnight is an initiative created by The Fostering Network to highlight the extraordinary work that Foster carers and their families provide our society. It’s a fabulous opportunity for fostering facilitators such as The Children’s Family Trust to showcase the work we do alongside our group of incredible carers. Ultimately, with the aim of proving to those that can, that fostering young people in their homes can be a huge opportunity for personal development aswell as changing the path for many children and their families who need extra support to ensure they thrive in life. This year’s theme is #fosteringcommunities A component of the initial assessment to become a foster carer regards a persons support network, the people you can fall back on when the going gets tough. Those individuals who don’t necessarily sign up for fostering but are along on the journey through the passions of those close to them. This year is all about celebrating the network that helps foster carers maintain their all-important role. The Fostering Network is also bringing back its Foster Walk campaign, an opportunity for foster families, facilitators and care leavers to show their support in the community by walking 80,000 steps, representing each child in the care system. Each of our teams across England will be out and about, walking the walk to showcase The CFT’s dedication to all the children in our care past, present and future. And if you’ve been supported by The CFT as a foster child, birth child, foster carer or part of the wider fostering community we’d love to hear from you! Send us your story via the website, or share with us online – WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Source: https://thecft.org.uk/news/ This month, we’re shining a light on the individuals who recognised their own potential for fostering and focused that on becoming exceptional carers. Regularly, those that enquire about becoming carers already have experiences that form great foster carers. Many people know they want to foster, but rarely do they acknowledge the wealth of experience that has informed their will up to that point. This series of personal stories from our carer group shine a light on how recognising their own transferrable skills helped push them towards a fostering career with us. And to start the series off, we wanted to celebrate our social worker extraordinaire and foster carer Liz, who works in our South Central Team. Liz has worked in social care for over twenty years and in her previous role, managed a large fostering service. She recalls how the stress of trying to recruit foster carers shifted her mindset. “I enjoyed the job so much… But meeting the demand for loving homes for children made me really consider putting my money where my mouth was" Utilising her wealth of experience in the sector not only meant Liz had a head start in providing foster care, but was able to make a tangible difference for the vulnerable young people she dealt with daily. Regardless of this head start, the decision to foster was still a tough one to come to. Managing a fostering agency is by no means a walk in the park and requires dedication that stretches way beyond a 9 to 5, maintaining both would have been an impossibility. “I decided to cut my working hours and move to a more flexible, less stressful job so that I could give more time to my fostering.” The ability to cut back on her work schedule in order to become a carer herself also meant a cut to her pay, however, Liz adds “After a bit of financial reflection, I decided to cut my hours to make the fostering work and I have never regretted the decision”. Liz exemplifies what it is to dedicate yourself to young people in need – not only in her career as a social worker, but her decision to put into practice her years of experience. “It can be challenging but I can fall back on my skills from years working in a caring profession and I also get great support from other carers and the fostering service.” And her advice for others looking for a vocation that supports you as much as you support others? “Don’t be scared to make that first contact with a fostering agency you are not making any commitment by just making contact, if they don’t make you feel comfortable right from the beginning it’s not the agency for you!” Taking the first step and making an enquiry can feel daunting. With the wealth of agencies and local authorities vying for your attention, it’s important that you go into the process without fear! And certainly don’t settle for the first agency you come across as each service will bring something different. When completing your research, note the factors that are important to you and ask as many questions as possible. Liz is absolutely right, an enquiry is no commitment or waste of time when coming from the right place. With an attentive agency or charity, they’ll ensure you have all the information to make an informed decision. The rest, we work through together. If you’d like to find out more and discover your potential for fostering young people – contact us today! Source: https://thecft.org.uk/ Member Job Opportunity: The Children's Family Trust - Supervising Social Worker (Maternity Leave)17/3/2023
Location: Bishop Auckland Salary: up to £38,041 per annum plus car and out of hours allowances Contract: Fixed Term Hours: Full Time Closing: 28 March 2023 Are you looking for a Supervising Social Worker role with a difference? Are you ready for low caseloads, great benefits, and plenty of opportunities? How about continual training and progression? We are looking for a candidate who is able to cover a maternity leave period from May/June 2023 to around September 2024 , within our North East Region, based at our Bishop Auckland office. This is a maternity cover role.
The Children's Family Trust (The CFT) Is a well-established Registered Charity and an Independent Fostering Agency providing a wide range of foster placements. We firmly believe our Foster Carers are our most valuable resource deserving the highest levels of support and remuneration we can offer. We work in partnership with Local Authority Social Workers and are committed to keeping our children safe and secure in stable and loving families. Job Purpose You know how much hard work and dedication it takes to make a difference to the lives of children and young people. With low caseloads, you’ll have the time and resources to truly support our Foster Carers. You’ll promote the safe care and development of our foster children so that they can achieve their full potential. You’ll get involved in the recruitment, assessment, and training of prospective Foster Carers, as well as pursuing suitable placements. You’ll help a diverse range of people - reflective of the communities we work in, and will play a key part in a friendly, supportive charity where you’ll be rewarded for your hard work and results. Job Description The role will include undertaking specific tasks in relation to supporting foster carers and the children placed with them and includes:
The Successful Candidate What do you need to be successful?
You will be able to demonstrate a professional approach and be able to deal with difficult, challenging and stressful situations on occasion. You will need to be approachable whilst also having an understanding of the confidential aspect of the role. A full driving licence with business cover and fully comprehensive insurance is essential and you must be confident in transporting children and young people in sometimes stressful and difficult situations. You will be required to have an enhanced DBS, which The Children’s Family Trust will cover the payment of. What You Get in Return We are a progressive organisation who promote a friendly and supportive working environment, where you will be rewarded for your hard work and results. As well as a competitive annual salary we also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:
Up to £38,041 per annum, plus car allowance (£4,800PA), out of Hours Payment (£1,200PA) – The Children’s Family Trust are also trialling a 4 day working week whereby you will be paid for 5 days. Full details and application documents here New Family Social – Fostering & Adoption week 6th-12th March 2023 Making decisions on your future is a challenge for everyone. What’s important to you that will bring you joy as you move into the next phase of your life? When you add in being from marginalised groups and without a ‘traditional’ path to follow, this can cause more doubt and confusion on where to turn next. This week New Family Social, a specialist LGBTQIA+ Fostering and Adoption support agency are celebrating those in the community that choose fostering and adoption as a way to form their future. We wanted to join in and celebrate our own LGBTQIA+ Carers, whilst encouraging those that can, to consider fostering as a route to a future that champions self development, professionalism, love, fortitude and passion. Read our LGBT Family Story from Mark and Rob here Whilst adoption is an aim for many who identify as LGBTQIA+, permanence being the goal, it can be overlooked that within Fostering you can not only enjoy permanence in a long term fostering arrangement but you gain so much more.
You’re trained to advocate for a child in professional settings, you’re trained to cope with the difficulties of raising young people in the 21st Century and you’re trained in therapeutic approaches to parenting. Also gaining a huge network of highly experienced, like-minded carers and social workers who are there to share and be a bastion of support along the way. As foster carers, you’re never left to figure it out for yourself. HAVING A CHOICE Be it long term, an opportunity to develop your career prospects with purpose or to engage with therapeutic approaches to parenting, your goals are facilitated through choice. Matching carers and children is key and in order to ensure our carers have longevity and avoiding placement breakdowns that affect both carers and children alike, knowing what age brackets and types of placement ensures we prepare and support you as accurately as possible. Want to scale into supporting young people on a longer term basis? We’ll partner you with a family to provide short-break care whilst your confidence develops. Anxious about how you’re managing a young person in your care? We can arrange daily visits with your social worker who can be there for you. Have absolutely no idea where to start or what to expect? We provide you with all the tools to make informed decisions, we will also arrange calls with our LGBTQIA+ carers who will give you an honest and relevant account of their experience working with us. At The CFT, we see first hand the wealth of relevant experience that the LGBTQIA+ Community bring to young people who have suffered in their early lives. Being truly empathetic and nurturing whilst understanding how owning a space can be transformative is truly what being a foster parent is all about. Be a facilitator of growth, whilst reinventing yourself. Enquire today and become a CFT Foster Carer. Source: https://thecft.org.uk Young people who can no longer live in their homes, can quite rightly struggle to assimilate in their new settings. From smells, to an unfamilar layout in the home to new people, there’s a lot to contend with when a young person enters a new home. Breaking the ice is crucial, but how do you navigate this whilst dealing with care plans, social workers and paperwork? Pets are non-judgemental, comforting, familiar and a useful tool to distract from the emotional turblence they may be experiencing. Interactions with pets can illicit responses from young people that may not happen with carers’ until much later. Incredibly useful when you may be discussing the young person with professionals. Routine, responsibility, confidence & self-esteem Struggles with self-esteem and confidence blight young people in care, this is often due to having very little experience of routine or a loving home life. Pets need this in order to be healthy and thrive, and being able to demonstrate routine and care via a pet can give a young person context to assist their own personal development. Most importantly are the therapeutic effects pets have on us as people. A simple lick on the cheek, a purrr at your feet, a guinea-pig time-trial (just me?) can neutralise feelings of isolation and lonliness. More often than not, pets provide that much needed reset after a bad day – Something funny happen on a walk? Did you bump into someone? Were there many other dogs out? Pets have a tendancy to save the day through conversation starters, reassurances and best of all, love. Are you a pet lover? Could you share that with young people in need? What’s stopping you becoming a foster carer? Get in Touch! Source: https://thecft.org.uk Fostering has the unique ability to present carers with many changeable and unexpected scenarios that require careful and sensitive management. Emma’s story is particuarly challenging and heartfelt. Managed with absolute professionalism as she navigates a disability and sibling foster care together with The CFT. Emma’s story What made you consider becoming a foster carer? Adoption has been a big part of my family; we have an adopted Aunt, so I was aware of fostering and adoption from a young age. My aunt fosters for Barnardo’s and I wanted to give children a loving family and give something back. What made you pick The CFT? How long was the process? The assessment process was 8 months long when I applied. I moved from another agency which lost its family feel and became very corporate. We liked that The CFT had a large family feeling and wasn’t all about money. The fact they were a charity really appealed to me and I knew another carer who highly recommended them. I’d heard lots of stories of how they had helped previous foster children and that sealed the deal. We had recently re-done our assessment with our previous agency as it had been taken over so it was an easy process for us. The transfer was really simple and I wasn’t nervous about the process at all, we knew several staff already and met Joe the registered manager. How did you deal with your first foster placement? Did you have to overcome any difficulties? My first foster placement was a little girl and her baby brother with complex needs, we had her first and he was just coming out of the hospital, he was deaf and blind, he used to stop breathing if he got upset and a lot of the hospital staff didn’t want to work with him as they were scared. I visited him in hospital for 2 weeks before I took him home, the first time I met him, I was warming up the wipes to change his nappy and was super nervous. I got a teddy I had slept with for a couple of days and put it in his cot. After 2 weeks of visiting and doing all the feeding training, I came to visit him and he put his arms out to me. We have been fully supported by CFT, we had a tricky referral and felt like social services were pushing us into something we didn’t want – Joe took charge as he knew we were being pushed. Our foster baby with complex needs was in the hospital for 21 days and we wouldn’t leave him, our social worker kept in touch every day and even brought food in on her days off to the hospital. If you could give 1 piece of advice to people who are considering foster care, what would it be? Over the years I have learnt to be flexible and go with the flow of the kids, it’s more exciting than nerve-racking when having a new placement, they are so scared when they come and it’s about making them feel comfortable and safe. Any nerves you do have you have to push through, once the child is there, you don’t have time for nerves. I don’t think the CFT could do anymore to support us, that’s my experience. We have found them to be highly supportive and got that large family feeling back. They are committed to training and I’m impressed that they don’t just do the usual courses, they go out of their way to find courses that are relevant to the children we have. Disability and sibling foster care Foster care is a rollercoaster of emotions, dedication and professionalism that requires so much more than a list of ‘traits’. Emma demonstrates everything that makes foster carers special. To understand and show such compassion in the face of disability and sibling foster care is amazing. Source: https://thecft.org.uk One teacher and her mates trying to make sure kids in the UK have a bed. That’s how Zarach describe their mission online, a group of exceptional people working tirelessly to ensure children across yorkshire have a bed to sleep on. As an organisation comprised of devoted social workers, who see firsthand the struggles families are facing, it was a no-brainer for our West Yorshire team to get involved and do something practical to assist in these trying times. Anne-Marie, Registered Manager for our Yorkshire region said: "As Social Worker’s we are all too aware of the extreme poverty that families experience day to day, however at Christmas and in the colder months the challenges for families become even greater. The opportunity to spend the morning with the wonderful charity Zarach really emphasised the reality of what many families across the Yorkshire region are facing and highlighted how much they rely on the generosity of members of the public and charitable organisations such as this to meet theirs and their Childrens basic needs." With every referral to Zarach, there is a young person in desperate need of basic requirements that so many of us take for granted. The impact on self-esteem, education, friendships and their health could have lasting effects as they traverse adulthood.
To make a difference is to improve the prospects of young people not just their present situations. Senior supervising social worker Becci said: I wanted to get involved in supporting Zarach as they do so much for the local community not only in Leeds but the surrounding areas such as Kirklees and Wakefield where we are based. I was a LASW for years within these communities and it was really sad when we went to homes where children had hardly anything and parents were in difficult situations. The reason I became a social worker was to help people and keep children and families together. We all know the problems people are facing this winter where they’re having to choose between feeding their children or heating their homes, we wanted to try and help where we could. On Tuesday the team put toghether Winter warmer packages, food/hygiene parcels and had the pleasure of choosing Christmas presents for children who, if it wasn’t for Zarach, would probably go without this christmas. Becci continued: It was an absolute privilege to be involved and a huge responsibility deciding what a child was going to open on Christmas Day. Despite the freezing cold warehouse we all had lots of fun spending time together as a team. We hope to continue supporting Zarach throughout the year and will most definitely be back next Christmas (with thermals on!) If you’d like more information about Zarach, and how you could make a difference for a family this christmas, check out their website and get in touch! Source: thecft.org.uk And we’re starting off this year’s festivities with Melton’s Annual Christmas Tree Festival! Showcasing our young people’s talents is the best part of Christmas time at The CFT. Throughout December, our regional offices host a tonne of events for all our birth and foster children where they get crafty and creative building decorations and designig christmas cards to get into the spirit of the time of year! Given how popular our submission to the Melton Christmas Tree festival was last year, we gave our children another go at decorating our christmas tree for the 2022 festival. Running a competition to design a decoration and our annual christmas card. We received some incredible decorations this year and our tree is looking fabulous! If you get a chance, head over to St Mary’s Church and enjoy the incredible tree’s altogether. Melton Christmas Tree Festival 2022 – St. Mary’s Church Not forgetting our carers! The time of year gives us an extra opportunity to treat our carers, who do so much every year they foster. Christmas can be a tough time of year with extra pressures regarding the cost of living and how to manage time and money. It’s a priority for us to spend time together, away from the children at our regional foster carers christmas meal’s to relax, have a good laugh and take a breath to enjoy eachother’s company. We’ve acknowledged throughout the year the extras needed to provide for children in the care of local authorities, the exceptional lengths our carers go to cannot be sustained without the provision of extra financial and emotional support and at Christmas, that really comes to the fore. Get in the Christmas groove! We’ll be announcing the winners of both our Christmas ornament and card competitions soon, so watch this space! And if you’re in and around Melton, enjoy the festival and be sure to tag us on social media if you see our tree. From everyone at The Children’s Family Trust, no matter if you celebrate the season or not – We wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous festive period. To our employees, carers, birth and foster children. Thank you for making our Trust a special place to work. 2022 may have presented challenges that many wouldn’t have predicted, however every single person affiliated with The CFT has pulled together to ensure we not only survive but continue to thrive, together. We are here throughout the festive period if you need support of any kind, at any time. Get in touch, we are here for you. Source: thecft.org.uk/ |
News & JobsNews stories and job vacancies from our member agencies, the fostering sector and the world of child protection and safeguarding as a whole. Browse Categories
All
|