 Mo and her husband have been fostering for ten years. Her parents fostered and she always knew it was something she wanted to do one day. Mo explains what makes Christmas magical for her fostering family
Our young person Mo currently fosters a thirteen-year-old girl who has been with her for two years. She can’t imagine life without her now. Mo says, “She’s an angel. She will get things wrong and has gone through a lot. But we can’t image her not being here. It wouldn’t feel right if we weren’t fostering her. She’s staying with us for the long term. We treat her as part of the family." What Christmas looks like “We change the Christmas for the child. For example, the idea of having lots of people around with hundreds of presents can be way too overwhelming for some children, so sometimes we’ve kept Christmas simple”. Mo and her husband have a big family with lots of children and grandchildren around. The young person who lives with them now loves a busy Christmas and can’t wait for all the family to visit. Before she came to us, she’d never had a Christmas stocking “What our young person is most looking forward to is the meal and the games. The main reason is knowing everyone is here, happy around the table, playing games, watching the Christmas film and playing Secret Santa. We're games people and create a lot of fun, it’s so lovely how excited she gets. "Before she came to us, she’d never had a Christmas stocking. I’ll never forget the first time we gave her one. Her face lit up and she couldn’t believe there was so many presents. "They were just tiny things, but she said thank you for every single one. I kept saying you don’t need to say thank you for every one. She was just so grateful." Christmas traditions Mo helps nurture the relationship with her young person's birth family. She also creates Christmas traditions to help build a sense of identity and positive memories for her young person. “Our young person still has contact with her family, so we make a point of her always having her own Christmas tree in her room with her presents and cards from her birth family. I take photos of her opening them and send it to them. "Every year when the main Christmas tree goes up, the children choose a Christmas decoration for the tree. Then we take a photograph of the tree and what year it is. "The plan is when they’re 18 they take all the decorations they’ve had every year and can put it on their own tree when they move out. It creates memories for them and something they can always keep for themselves. Part of the family "Another tradition we’ve started is Christmas breakfast together. The children and grandchildren come over and we have crackers, gifts, cappuccinos, lattes, eggs and bacon. I make my own crackers and buy individual presents to put in them for everyone. My young person loves it! "We want to show her that Christmas can be fun. She may not be able to be with her family, but she can be part of ours”. https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk  Sally* wasn’t prepared for the devastating news. With support from her Action for Children social worker and a bereavement service, Sally broke the news to her foster child. Years on, Jack* lives with Sally and she continues to support him
In solidarity with National Grief Awareness Week, Sally reflects on her experience of sharing possibly the most difficult news for any child to receive: the death of a parent. How do I do this? Being a foster carer is an amazing but challenging job. You'll have good days and bad days, but nobody could prepare me for the news I had to share with my foster child, Jack*. The day I found out Jack's mum died was a day I’ll never forget. Panic and worry took over and my thought processes disappeared. The question I kept asking myself was, ‘how do I do this?’ I knew as a foster mum I needed to get this right We’d just celebrated his seventh birthday. It was my job to tell this little boy his mum had died, but what words do I use? When do I tell him and how will he react? How will I react? I knew as a foster mum I needed to get this right. I was given lots of support from Jack’s social worker. He’d even offered to tell Jack instead of me. I was dreading seeing this little boy hurt, but I felt it should be me that told him. I felt every one of his emotions I remember thinking about where we could go that’s memorable, and with no distractions. So, I collected him from school and took him to a spot we had visited before. My heart was beating so fast, every time I tried to get the words out, I swallowed them back down. I took a deep breath and shared the news. We sat for thirty minutes chatting and answering questions. I offered cuddles and tried to help Jack process what I'd told him. I contacted a bereavement counsellor to ask for support I felt every one of his emotions, I knew he was going to need me more than ever. The next few days were difficult, we spent time together talking and I offered lots of cuddles. A few days passed and another dreaded conversation was coming. How do I start to explain what a funeral is to a little boy aged only seven? I contacted a bereavement counsellor to ask for support. Afterwards, I spoke to Jack explaining what happens at a funeral. Giving him space to ask all the questions he needed to. The Goodbye day Jack decided not to go to his mum’s funeral. We chatted about different ways we could say goodbye to someone who had died. It helped to use my own experiences to talk this through. Jack decided he wanted to send a photo to his mum in heaven. We visited the local beach with a bunch of flowers he’d picked out, a photograph and a balloon. Jack had lots of questions, and honest answers were the best way to help him process his grief Jack let go of the balloon with the items attached, to heaven. ‘The goodbye day’ was very sad but memorable, my children were also there to support Jack. My foster child had lots of questions, and honest answers were the best way to help him process his grief. If I didn’t know the answer, I would tell him that but also reassure him that I would find out. Remembering mum We remember mum now in many ways. At birthdays and Christmas, Jack speaks openly about his mum and that really helps. When you’re a foster carer, things can happen completely out of the blue and it can feel scary. This was a horrifying situation for my foster child to experience. But we as a family give Jack support, empathy, and love - through the good days and bad. We’re making new memories while never allowing Jack’s memory of his mum to fade. But we as a family give Jack support, empathy, and love - through the good days and bad Many children in foster care suffer loss. This can be from the experience of being separated from their birth family, from bereavement, or from childhood trauma. They need caring foster families like Sally's who offer empathy, understanding and support. *The names in this story have been changed to protect the identity of the child and carer Find out about the support Action for Children offers their fostering community. https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk  We are delighted to share our report for the Customer Service Excellence Award in 2021, with the results showing we go above and beyond for our customers.
This year we received three areas of Compliance Plus, which refers to “behaviours or practices which exceed the requirements of the standard and are viewed as exceptional or as exemplar to others”. “We have made positive changes to services as a result of analysing customer experience, including improved customer journeys.” This was evidenced through Staying Close, our implementation of the Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), using the Lundy Method to improve the engagement journey and the work of our Return Home Interviews Service (formerly Runaways). “We have improved the range, content and quality of verbal, published and web-based information we provide to ensure it is relevant and meets the needs of customers.” This was shown through an A to Z of fostering campaign to recruit new foster carers, the Impact Report 2021 and young people’s guides. “Our performance in relation to timeliness and quality of service compares well with that of similar organisations.” This was awarded for our longer placement times, high percentage of planned placement endings, strong educational achievements of our young people and our Ofsted and Isle of Man inspection outcomes. In addition to these areas of Compliance Plus, the assessor identified 14 areas of good practice including colleague’s flexibility during the pandemic, our participatory approach and the extension of our contract on the Isle of Man. Director of Income and Development Geneva Ellis said: “Winning this award is always a big team effort from people across St Christopher’s and shows how much excellence exists in all corners of our organisation. Well done!” Source: www.stchris.org.uk  Circa: £35,000 + £700 p.a. on call allowance pro rata Location: Horfield Bristol ( Flexibility to work from home on occasion) Contract Type: Permanent Part Time Benefits – Holiday allowance minimum 29 days plus public/bank holidays, flexible maternity, adoption and paternity packages, pension scheme where we contribute up to 7%, an employee discount portal and much more!
Giving children and young people the foundations they need to thrive. The role Our three linked services, Fostering South West, Fostering South West Peninsula and Family Breaks Devon provide high quality foster families to vulnerable children and young people from our offices based in Bristol and Exeter. We also offer the highest standard of care-providing carers with excellent training, supervision and support to achieve the best outcomes for the young people we look after. We strive to provide a good quality of care to young people, always ensuring they are the centre of our approach. We are looking for an outstanding Fostering Social Worker who can support placements in the South west. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For more information or if you have any questions please email anne-marie.wilson@actionforchildren.org.uk It's vital for our services to be able to recruit and support adopters / Foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds to reflect the children who need families. We therefore actively seek to replicate that diversity in our staff, and we positively welcome the wide breadth of experience, knowledge and understanding that this will bring to our services. Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. Full details and application documents here  The words of one young person inspired Nicki to volunteer at Action for Children and befriend children in care
A range of life experiences lead people to volunteer at Action for Children. While attending a fundraising event, Nicki Bogle heard a care leaver share how Action for Children volunteers had helped them. The story inspired Nicki to want to do more. Soon after, Nicki learnt about the Here4Me Independent Visitor programme in Berkshire. She didn’t have any experience of the care system – she works in marketing – but her desire to help children in care was all she needed to sign up. As an independent visitor, Nicki is matched to befriend a young person in care. After 10 years, and three successful pairings, Nicki’s role has provided something many children in care go without – stability and support. So how can volunteers, like Nicki, change the lives of children in care? 1. Someone they can have fun with Each month, Nicki and the young person she’s matched with spend a day together, going out on fun trips and getting to know one another. The young person gets to decide what they do. It could be taking part in their hobbies or trying something completely new. “My first pairing was with a 17-year-old girl,” says Nicki. “She was quite shy and needed someone to go out with, so we did bowling and things like that.” “I was then paired with a 13-year-old girl,” she continues. “She was lovely and really liked all the things I liked doing, like going to the spa and getting our nails done, so we had lots of fun. At the moment, I’m matched with a 14-year-old boy, who I’ve been with for three years. I've become very good at gaming, going to Legoland and arcades!” 2. Helping their confidence grow As time goes on, Nicki notices improvements in the confidence and relationships of the young people she’s paired with. She tells us, “The nice thing about Action for Children’s service is that they match people up based on what they think you'll achieve with that person - whether that’s increased confidence or opening up. “The second match I had was very quiet and lacked confidence. But once she was with me for a few months, she opened up a lot and we used to sing in the car. As a result of that, she ended up joining the school choir. This is something she said she never would have done if I hadn’t felt comfortable singing with you.” “You can definitely see the changes in them.” Nicki “The boy I am currently with has some learning difficulties and talked about being bullied at school, so we talked about how to cope with that,” Nicki said. “He said that he took my advice, which helped him a lot. He's also been able to try other things, when before he always just wanted to do the same thing. Just having someone there to reassure him has helped him a lot.” 3. Being a constant presence in their lives Nicki's second match had a turbulent childhood. In the two years they were matched together, she moved foster homes five times. Nicki reflected on what their relationship meant for the young girl. “I was her only constant and was able to give her the support that she needed. I was able to support her foster carers in understanding her a bit better. It felt great because I could really see the value I was adding.” “It’s helpful for them to have someone around who they can trust and is there just for them. Sometimes you're the only constant relationship they might have over that difficult period of their lives.” Volunteering has changed Nicki’s life too The experience has taught Nicki several valuable lessons. She sees the difference made in the young people she’s supported and in herself too. “It's taught me patience and taken me outside of my comfort zone, and I’m always learning new things. “Every child is different and has different likes and dislikes. So, I’ve learnt to be patient and let them express themselves, but also give guidance without it being too overpowering. [Volunteering] makes you appreciate how lucky you are.” Volunteer with Action for Children Are you looking for a volunteer role that can change the lives of children and young people in the UK? Whether you want to support our fundraising events, mentor a young child or volunteer at a children’s centre we have lots of roles on offer. Source: www.actionforchildren.org.uk  Salary: Circa £67,000 Department/Division: Wales Contract Type: Permanent Full Time Hours: 35 hours per week Flexible, Homeworking with travel to Wales offices and services as required
Benefits: Holiday allowance minimum 29 days (pro-rata) plus public/bank holidays, flexible maternity, adoption and paternity packages, pension scheme where we contribute up to 7%, an employee discount portal and much, much more! About Us: Our vision is that every child and young person has a safe and happy childhood. To do this, we need ambition. We need strategic leadership and direction. But just as important? The compassion, the warmth and the strength you'll bring to help us continue changing lives. Reporting to the National Director of Wales, you'll lead, develop and manage a dedicated team of managers who deliver a range of children's services in a geographical area. One of the key missions will be to make sure that we're fit for the future, especially in a post-lockdown Wales. This really is an exciting opportunity for an inspirational leader who wants to make a difference to the lives of children and young people. So why not take a well-earned tea break, have a read and review the attached job description? About the Role: Working with the senior leadership team of the Wales nation, you'll be responsible for a defined area and we're open to finding the best person who can establish relationships with key stakeholders and commissioners. You'll strive for excellence and work with commissioned services to achieve the best outcomes possible for children and young people. With your decisive and collaborative leadership, you'll be able to analyse, monitor and support service performance and delivery. As the Operational Director of Children's Services, you'll be accountable for the quality of our provision, ensuring the finances of the charity are sustainable. You'll be an advocate for the charity, you'll speak on behalf of children whose voices are not yet heard. You'll do everything you can to make sure they CAN be heard, while maintaining our outstanding reputation. You'll direct our success by:
Ideally, you'll have:
To apply, we'd like you to complete our application form and a supporting statement, telling us how you'll champion better lives for children and how your skills, experience and ambitions meet with our needs. Interview date is planned for Tuesday 12th October. Closing date is Sunday 3rd October. If you require support in applying or have any questions, then don't hesitate to contact Carla Smart on 01923 361 7839. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 600,000 children and families across the UK. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. Full details and application documents here ________ Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol Gwasanaethau Plant (Cyfeirnod yr Ymgyrch: 5776) Hyblyg, Gweithio Gartref a theithio i swyddfeydd a gwasanaethau Cymru yn ôl yr angen Parhaol, Amser Llawn dros 35 awr yr wythnos Cyflog: Tua £67,000 y flwyddyn Buddion: Lwfans gwyliau o 29 diwrnod (pro-rata) ynghyd â gwyliau cyhoeddus/gwyliau'r banc, pecynnau mamolaeth, mabwysiadu a thadolaeth hyblyg, cynllun pensiwn lle rydym yn cyfrannu hyd at 7%, porth gostyngiadau i weithwyr a llawer mwy! Amdanom Ni: Ein gweledigaeth yw i bob plentyn a pherson ifanc gael plentyndod diogel a hapus. I wneud hyn, mae angen uchelgais arnom. Mae angen arweinyddiaeth a chyfeiriad strategol arnom. Ond yr un mor bwysig? Eich tosturi, eich cynhesrwydd a'ch cryfder a fydd yn ein helpu i barhau i newid bywydau. Yn atebol i Gyfarwyddwr Cenedlaethol Cymru, byddwch yn arwain, yn datblygu ac yn rheoli tîm ymroddedig o reolwyr sy'n darparu ystod o wasanaethau plant mewn ardal ddaearyddol. Un o'r nodau allweddol fydd sicrhau ein bod yn addas ar gyfer y dyfodol, yn enwedig yng Nghymru ar ôl y cyfnod clo. Mae hwn yn gyfle cyffrous i arweinydd ysbrydoledig sydd am wneud gwahaniaeth i fywydau plant a phobl ifanc. Felly beth am gymryd hoe haeddiannol, a darllen ac adolygu'r swydd-ddisgrifiad ynghlwm dros baned? Y Swydd: Gan weithio gydag uwch dîm arwain Cymru, byddwch yn gyfrifol am ardal benodol ac rydym yn awyddus i ddod o hyd i'r person gorau sy'n gallu creu perthynas â rhanddeiliaid allweddol a chomisiynwyr. byddwch yn anelu at ragoriaeth ac yn gweithio gyda gwasanaethau a gomisiynwyd i gyflawni'r canlyniadau gorau posibl i blant a phobl ifanc. Gyda'ch arweinyddiaeth bendant a chydweithredol, byddwch yn gallu dadansoddi, monitro a chefnogi perfformiad a darpariaeth gwasanaeth. Fel Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol Gwasanaethau Plant, byddwch yn atebol am ansawdd ein darpariaeth, gan sicrhau bod cyllid yr elusen yn gynaliadwy. Byddwch yn eiriolwr dros yr elusen, byddwch yn siarad ar ran plant nad yw eu lleisiau'n cael eu clywed eto. Byddwch yn gwneud popeth o fewn eich gallu i sicrhau y GELLIR eu clywed, wrth gynnal ein henw da rhagorol. Byddwch yn sicrhau ein llwyddiant drwy:
Yn ddelfrydol, bydd gennych:
Er mwyn gwneud cais, hoffem i chi lenwi ein ffurflen gais a datganiad ategol, gan ddweud wrthym sut y byddwch yn hyrwyddo bywydau gwell i blant a sut mae'ch sgiliau, eich profiad a'ch uchelgeisiau yn diwallu ein hanghenion. Dyddiad y cyfweliad yw dydd Mawrth 12 Hydref. Y dyddiad cau yw dydd Sul 3 Hydref. Os oes angen cymorth arnoch i wneud cais neu os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â Carla Smart ar 01923 361 7839 Sicrhau plentyndod diogel a hapus Yn Gweithredu dros Blant, rydym yn amddiffyn ac yn cefnogi plant a phobl ifanc, gan ddarparu gofal a chymorth ymarferol ac emosiynol iddynt, sicrhau bod eu lleisiau 'n cael eu clywed, ac ymgyrchu i wneud gwelliannau parhaol i'w bywydau. Y llynedd, fe wnaethom helpu mwy na 600,000 o blant a theuluoedd ledled y DU. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i arferion recriwtio mwy diogel er mwyn amddiffyn defnyddwyr ein gwasanaethau; felly, mae disgwyl i bob ymgeisydd feddu ar ddealltwriaeth o arferion gorau ac ymrwymo i hynny. Mae Gweithredu dros Blant yn teimlo'n angerddol ynglŷn â hyrwyddo cydraddoldeb, gwerthfawrogi amrywiaeth, a gweithio mewn ffordd gynhwysol. Rydym yn croesawu ceisiadau gan bawb sydd â chymwysterau addas, yn enwedig pobl ag Anableddau ac ymgeiswyr Du, Asiaidd a Lleiafrifoedd Ethnig, gan fod y grwpiau hyn wedi'u tangynrychioli yn ein gweithlu ar hyn o bryd. Manylion llawn a dogfennau cais yma  Circa: £35,000 + £700 p.a on call allowance Department/Division: England North Location: Horfield Bristol ( Flexibility to work from home on occasion) Contract Type: Permanent Full Time Hours: 37 per week. Benefits – Holiday allowance minimum 29 days plus public/bank holidays, flexible maternity, adoption and paternity packages, pension scheme where we contribute up to 7%, an employee discount portal and much more!
Giving children and young people the foundations they need to thrive. The role Our three linked services, Fostering South West, Fostering South West Peninsula and Family Breaks Devon provide high quality foster families to vulnerable children and young people from our offices based in Bristol and Exeter. We also offer the highest standard of care-providing carers with excellent training, supervision and support to achieve the best outcomes for the young people we look after. We strive to provide a good quality of care to young people, always ensuring they are the centre of our approach. We are looking for an outstanding Fostering Social Worker who can support placements in the South west. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For more information or if you have any questions please email anne-marie.wilson@actionforchildren.org.uk It's vital for our services to be able to recruit and support adopters / Foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds to reflect the children who need families. We therefore actively seek to replicate that diversity in our staff, and we positively welcome the wide breadth of experience, knowledge and understanding that this will bring to our services. Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. Full details and application documents here  Action for Children worker Caryl Dyer takes you behind the scenes of our latest campaign, Star in Every Child, sharing the true stories behind what you see on screen
When Caryl Dyer, an Action for Children service coordinator in south Wales, got a call asking her to star in the charity’s latest awareness-raising film, she leapt at the chance. “This campaign is all about children reaching their potential, regardless of who they are,” explains Caryl. “I love the meaning behind that. It’s the belief that’s kept me going for the past 13 years and why I was excited to be involved in the film.” A passion for helping children After initially joining Action for Children on a service for children with autism in Cardiff, Caryl’s held a diverse variety of roles. She’s worked directly with families in crisis, provided short breaks for young carers, in residential services, after-school clubs and play schemes. She’s now working in mental health for children and young people, an area she’s passionate about. “Every role was extremely rewarding in its own way,” reflects Caryl. “Because in each of them, you're supporting vulnerable young people to thrive. I think the common thing among all of them is that you leave at the end of the day knowing that you've done your best by a young person, which I think is pretty special.” Helping children’s stars shine In our new ‘Star in Every Child’ campaign film, Caryl gets to share the beliefs that drive her – and Action for Children staff and supporters across the country. That no child should go hungry, without love or a safe and stable home. “Unfortunately, there are lots of things that can stop a child’s star from shining,” says Caryl, “Things like domestic abuse, substance abuse, poverty, or poor parental mental health and wellbeing. Action for Children has lots of services across the UK that can help families overcome these things and help their children’s stars to shine.” Now, Action for Children is asking the public to help us do more, by helping us provide the things that can help a vulnerable child have a safe and happy childhood. Simple things, like a warm, nutritious meal or a support worker who will be there to listen, support and help keep them safe. The reality beyond the screen Caryl explains that the campaign reflects the reality of what she and other Action for Children workers see every day on the job: “In the film you see children that maybe do not have access to a healthy meal, or decent shoes to wear to school. Unfortunately, that is the reality of what we come across regularly working for Action for Children. “It’s extremely disheartening to know that young people are facing such challenges. But I’m hoping that with the public’s support, we can reach more of them. It would mean the world, and make a big difference” Real life stories of impact Recalling one of her proudest moments, Caryl says: “I’ll never forget one young boy - two brothers actually. Unfortunately, they'd lost their dad at a younger age. The surviving parent was struggling with bereavement at the time and went into ‘survival mode’. Unfortunately, it turned into substance misuse and alcoholism. “They were barely getting by. During that time, it was just a very difficult, challenging family situation for all involved. The children were displaying quite challenging behaviour trying to deal with all of that, they weren’t getting on with school and so on. “It was my role to come in to support this family because it was all coming crashing down. It was a very long and challenging piece of work, but we supported them and we prevented the boys from having to go into care. That was fantastic. “When we first went in, the situation was quite severe – it was really harrowing. But after working with them, they became resilient young boys, they were at school, they attended every day. At the end of the day, they had a supportive network around them and that’s so important.” “It’s extremely disheartening to know that young people are facing such challenges. But I’m hoping that with the public’s support, we can reach more of them. It would mean the world, and make a big difference” Caryl Dyer With the right support, any child can shine Caryl’s own childhood was a happy one, in which she felt lucky to have a loving home despite financial adversity. “We weren't from a wealthy background. I was raised by hard working parents, and we lived from month to month. But I felt very fortunate that I was surrounded by a lot of love, a lot of positive relationships. “That's what makes me passionate about this cause. That it doesn't matter what your background is, you can still shine, and you can still make your own way. Sometimes small things, like having somebody there for you, is all that matters.” How you can help When a child has the safe and happy childhood they deserve, their star shines brightly. But too many children in the UK right now don’t have the chance to shine. Their childhoods are overshadowed by abuse and neglect, poverty, and poor mental health. But you can change this. There's a star in every child. Let it shine. Source: www.actionforchildren.org.uk  Circa: £34,000 + inner London weighting (£3333) + £700 p.a on call allowance Location: London, City of London Contract Type: Permanent Full Time Closing Date: 27 August 2021 The role
Action for Children Fostering South East, is one service, based on two sites. Our London office is in central London (WC2B 5DG). We also have a Kent service based in Ramsgate. We have foster carers in various and widespread areas of London and Kent. We are not a large service, but we are long established, and have committed, skilled and experienced foster carers who are able to provide stable, nurturing family homes for children and young people who for various reasons aren't able to be cared for in their birth families. Our children, young people and carers are supported and by a very experienced and skilled staff team. One of the strengths that our foster carers often comment on is that our service has a ‘family' feel to it. We are looking for an outstanding Fostering Social Worker who can support placements in the London and surrounding area, so flexibility to travel across this cluster as and when needed is imperative for this role. You will also have the opportunity to assess applicants to foster. During Covid times, we support agile / homeworking with the expectation to progress back into our office base in WC2B 5DG, when we can, with continued flexibility and a mix of home, office and travel to meet children and carers where they are. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For any further questions about this role, please contact Lynsey.Munro@actionforchildren.org.uk in our recruitment team. It's vital for our services to be able to recruit and support adopters / Foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds to reflect the children who need families. We therefore actively seek to replicate that diversity in our staff, and we positively welcome the wide breadth of experience, knowledge and understanding that this will bring to our services. Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. Full details and application documents here  Circa: £34,000 Location: London, City of London Department/Division: EDD03 Contract Type: Permanent Full Time Closing Date: 4 August 2021 Number of Roles: 1 The role
Action for Children Fostering South East, is one service, based on two sites. Our London office is in central London (WC2B 5DG). We also have a Kent service based in Ramsgate. We have foster carers in various and widespread areas of London and Kent. We are not a large service, but we are long established, and have committed, skilled and experienced foster carers who are able to provide stable, nurturing family homes for children and young people who for various reasons aren't able to be cared for in their birth families. Our children, young people and carers are supported and by a very experienced and skilled staff team. One of the strengths that our foster carers often comment on is that our service has a ‘family' feel to it. We are looking for an outstanding Fostering Social Worker who can support placements in the London and surrounding area, so flexibility to travel across this cluster as and when needed is imperative for this role. You will also have the opportunity to assess applicants to foster. During Covid times, we support agile / homeworking with the expectation to progress back into our office base in WC2B 5DG, when we can, with continued flexibility and a mix of home, office and travel to meet children and carers where they are. You will make a difference by:
You will need:
The way we work We work to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. Have a look at our behaviours and values to understand more about the way we work here. Rewards We want our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, a comprehensive employer-matched pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts on our dedicated benefits portal. Find out more about our exclusive Action for Children benefits here. For safe and happy childhoods At Action for Children, we protect and support children and young people, providing practical and emotional care and support, ensuring their voices are heard, and campaigning to bring lasting improvements to their lives. Last year, we helped more than 387,000 children and families across the UK. For any further questions about this role, please contact Lynsey.Munro@actionforchildren.org.uk in our recruitment team. It's vital for our services to be able to recruit and support adopters / Foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds to reflect the children who need families. We therefore actively seek to replicate that diversity in our staff, and we positively welcome the wide breadth of experience, knowledge and understanding that this will bring to our services. Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons particularly people with Disabilities and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best-practice. Full details and application documents here |
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