 Martin and James – TACT foster carers since 2018
After playing a significant role in the upbringing of our nieces and nephews and always having a great relationship with them, we were motivated to become foster carers. Although we aren’t able to have children of our own, we have always felt we could provide someone with a healthy, stable home full of love, support and kindness. Finding the right agency was really important to us, so we carried out plenty of research about what each agency could offer us. TACT really stood out to us because of the level of support and training they offered – from our first phone call and speaking to a member of staff at TACT, we felt that we’d made the right choice. Before starting the application and assessment process, James and I did have some anxieties over whether being a LGBTQ+ couple would be a barrier to us fostering. However, our fears were soon allayed by speaking to TACT. They assured us that being a LGBTQ+ couple would never be a barrier or affect our ability to foster – as long as we could offer the necessary love and support to a child TACT were happy for us to go ahead. In 2018 we began caring for a 13-year-old boy who remains with us today. We were really excited, as well as nervous. We tried to prepare as much as we could by getting in food, sweets, teddy bears and a welcome box to try to make them less nervous and more comfortable in our home. We spent the first evening just getting to know each other, we let him pick his favourite dinner and made it together. We then watched his favourite movie together. We had a great connection straight away, even though he had difficulties trusting people at first. Helping him to break down those barriers and build up a level of trust has been our greatest success. Because of attachment issues, he would sometimes push away when he felt he was letting his guard down. It was so hard to see him isolate himself and go back to square one. Nevertheless, we felt that we were slowly but surely having a positive influence on his life. It’s been amazing to see someone grow and develop life skills, while we built routines for him which has helped him to feel safe and secure with us. Our boy needs stability to thrive due to his autism, and we have taken care to ensure that we are a source of reliability and stability, which has helped us build trust over time. He has made incredible progress in the time he has been with us. There have been so many positive changes throughout the years, and he is in a much better place both physically and mentally. He is now doing great in school, whereas he previously struggled with his education. We are now looking forward to him finishing school, going to college and discussing volunteering and his first job. None of this would have been possible when he first arrived. He is now approaching 18 and we are beginning discussions for continued care, we have told him we will always be there for him. TACT have been amazing to us over the years. There is always a member of staff on the other end of the phone to provide support anytime it’s needed, and our social workers have been brilliant. We have absolutely loved our journey fostering with TACT and feel so proud to be a part of the TACT family. As well as staff, we have also received amazing support from other foster carers, as well as our friends and family. To any other LGBTQ+ couple who has thought about fostering – go for it! Never let being part of the LGBTQ+ community hold you back from doing anything. We’ve always been treated equally and as part of the family by TACT, which has led to some incredibly rewarding and proud moments for us as foster carers. Deciding to foster has been the best decision we have ever made and we will continue to do this for a very long time. We feel so lucky to be part of this young person’s life and to see all of the positive changes. Visit our myth-busting LGBTQ+ Fostering page. Source: www.tactcare.org.uk  Mandy* was no stranger to the challenges teenagers in care face. After years of working in the social sector, she stepped up to foster and Raine* became part of her life Mandy shines a light on what teenagers like Raine need during their time in care. Moving foster homes Raine lived with her previous foster carer for ten years. At 16, her foster carers gave notice and the local authorities tried to find her a new foster family. Despite their efforts, no local authority carers came forward. They approached Action for Children who identified Mandy as a match for Raine. Mandy reflected, “When the social worker contacted me, she explained that Raine had a lot of emotional difficulties. Her carers had decided they could no longer support her.” Children who are at higher risk of exploitation and self-harm need specialist support. Because Action for Children offer therapeutic fostering, the necessary training and support was available for Mandy. The support of other services "I remember there were concerns about self-harm and low self-esteem. She was lovely but suffering from depression. She needed the support of other agencies, like CAMHS (Child and Mental Health Services).” The first six months were difficult for Raine. But once she settled in, she started to invite her friends around. Raine got a part-time job and was engaging well with school. “My way of supporting her was by listening and working with agencies like CAMHS. I would support Raine emotionally, and by providing stability. “Developing Raine’s independence and trust was so important while she was with me. I’d give her pocket money and help her manage it so that she became more independent with her finances.” Fostering offers normal family life  For many children in care, fostering offers normal family life. Mandy can recall a time when she realised the kind of small things Raine had missed out on. "We we're sitting at the dining table one day and Raine said to me 'This is the first time I've sat and eaten around a table before'. “When she moved on, she cried so much, but she was leaving so much more stable and able. Raine went on to get an apprenticeship “She thanked me, and I said, you don’t need to do that. She stayed with me for 18 months in total and it was marvellous to see her change over that time.” Who can foster? The majority of young people in care are teenagers. We urgently need carers who’ll help young people develop confidence and independence. Provide the safe and happy home they deserve by fostering. *The names in this story have been changed to protect the identity of the child and carer. Source: www.actionforchildren.org.uk  Contract type: Permanent Hours: 30 Salary: £28,631.00 - £40,072.00 (Full Time Equivalent) £23,214.32 - £32,490.81 (Pro Rata) plus £312 Office at Home Allowance Closing Date: 5 July 2022 Interview Date: 12 July 2022 The successful candidate will join our Fostering team as a Supervising Social Worker, which is registered with Care Inspectorate Wales to recruit, train and assess Prospective and Approved Foster Parents. The post holder will also provide pre and post placement support to families. This could include further training for foster parents to meet the assessed needs of children.
When completing your application please refer to your skills, knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document (if applicable). This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described. NB: Whilst the Job Description makes reference to Family Placement, this role is specifically for a Supervising Social Worker in the Fostering Service. Barnardo's offers a hybrid working model covered under our `Work from Anywhere' Framework, therefore vacancies advertised with this as an opportunity are open for applicants to either work from home or any location within the UK, including Barnardo's Hub/Office that is a reasonable distance from your home address. Flexibility Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. About Barnardo's At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role. Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's. Full details and application documents here  Location: Home Based Contract type: Permanent Hours: 37 Salary: £28,631.52 - £40,072.00 plus £312 Office at Home allowance Closing Date: 5 July 2022 Interview Date: 18/07/2022 Barnardo's Adoption Midlands and South West has an exciting vacancy for a Social Worker to join its expanding Service covering work predominantly in the South West, mainly covering Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. You will be joining an experienced and stable staff group who embrace working in a creative, open and transparent manner with adopters, to provide children with permanence in a family who understand the lifelong nature of adoption and the impact of issues such as developmental trauma, attachment and neuroscience.
As a Social Worker you have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of Children, Young People and Families by:
If you have a passion and drive to make a positive difference to children and adopters we would like to hear from you. This vacancy for a qualified and registered Social Worker. This will be a home-based post but the postholder will be required to travel to office locations in Bristol and Halesowen for training, meetings, team development etc. There is some flexibility and this post could be considered as a part time post. This can be discussed at interview or in an informal discussion with the manager of the Service. The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving license that enables them to drive in the UK and have use of a car and business use insurance. Barnardo's is, however, willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by other means. The applicant will need to be able to participate in an "Helpline" rota Out of Office hours. There is additional remuneration for providing this service. Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work life balance we therefore offer flexible working arrangements as the role involves some evening/weekend working and travel with occasional overnight stays. Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. When completing the application please refer to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the Service described. Flexibility Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. About Barnardo's At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role. Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's. Full details and application documements here  Location: Lincolnshire Leaving Care Service – Sleaford Contract type: Permanent Hours: 37 Salary: £18,278 - £26,234 (Full Time Equivalent) Closing Date: 21 July 2022 Interview Date: 29 July 2022 Barnardo's work in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council to deliver its Leaving Care Service for young people aged 16-25.
We have been inspected by Ofsted and have achieved an ‘Outstanding' grade for the service we provide. Following a recent re-commissioning of the service we are looking to recruit a Project Worker to work across the region with our teams based in Lincoln, Louth, Peterborough and Sleaford. We also have some Care Leavers based out of County. Initial Specific Responsibilities To carry out pathway plans, statutory visits and risk assessments for Lincolnshire care leavers. Within Lincolnshire the Signs of Safety model is used across County as an assessment tool. Supplementary Information
When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described. Barnardo's offers a hybrid working model covered under our `Work from Anywhere' Framework, therefore vacancies advertised with this as an opportunity are open for applicants to either work from home or any location within the UK, including Barnardo's Hub/Office that is a reasonable distance from your home address. Flexibility Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. About Barnardo's At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role. Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's. Full details and application documents here  Location: Homebased - Yorkshire and North East Salary: Up to £37,290 per annum + £750 Homeworking Allowance per annum Hours: 35 hours per week Closing Date: 30/06/2022 Interview Date: 08/07/2022 The majority of assessment visits are undertaken via video calls but travelling will be required for some face to face meetings.
As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT put the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint individuals who are as passionate about this as we are. We know that we cannot provide this level of care without our staff which is why we are proactive in looking after the wellbeing of our employees. As a homeworking organisation, we pride ourselves on the flexibility this brings, along with our flexible working opportunities to enable you to have a healthy work / life balance. We also provide a full and active wellbeing calendar and activities, along with your input to ensure you get the most from it. As a foster care charity, TACT invests all surplus income into services, staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to invest unique projects like TACT Connect, our ground-breaking scheme for our TACT care experienced young people and adults, our expanding TACT Education Service and our new Health Service. It is not surprising that this had led to us gaining 'outstanding’ levels of employee engagement in a recent Best Companies Survey this year. Come and join us and be part of our amazing team of professionals who put young people at the heart of every decision. Our vision is to provide better lives for our children and young people - find out more about our values here: TACT Carer Recruitment Service is looking for a Assessing Social Worker who has experience in fostering recruitment and is looking for an assessing social worker role. The successful candidate will be based in or within a reasonable distance of the following areas: This role will cover the Yorkshire areas - Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, York, Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, Rotherham, Sheffield, and Wakefield. The role involves proactively building excellent relationships with applicants, preparing them to foster and completing Form F assessments. Core Tasks include:
Main Requirements:
More information can be found in the Job Description. TACT offer an excellent employee benefits package including:
More information in the Job Information Pack. Closing: Thursday 30th June 2022 Interviews: Friday 8th July 2022 (via Microsoft Teams) Safeguarding is everyone’s business and TACT believe that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work. As part of TACT’s commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications, and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children. We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard TACT’s young people. All our staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies. TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them. TACT reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Full details and application documents here  Location: Homebased - Travel required Salary: £37,290 p.a.+ £3,777 London Weighting p.a. (if living in a London Borough) + £750 Home Woking Allowance p.a. including £1,500 p.a. Out of Hours Rota Allowance + £500 Placements Allowance p.a. Hours: 35 Hours Per Week Closing Date: 27/06/2022 Interview Date: 04/07/2022 Covering Kent & West Sussex areas
As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT puts the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint individuals who are as passionate about fostering as we are. We know that we cannot provide exceptional levels of care without our staff which is why we prioritise their wellbeing. As a homeworking organisation, we pride ourselves on our flexible working opportunities, an extensive wellbeing programme and our benefits package, all curated to support a healthy work life balance for all our staff. As a foster care charity, TACT invests all surplus income into services, staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to invest unique projects like TACT Connect, our ground-breaking scheme for care experienced young people and adults, our expanding TACT Education Service and our newly established Health Service. It is not surprising that in October 2021 the Times 100 Best Companies Survey evidenced “outstanding” levels of engagement amongst our staff and that we are currently listed as 16th in the UK’s Best Mid-Sized Companies across all industries and the 4th Best Charity to work for in 2022. Come and join us and be part of our amazing team of professionals whose vision is to provide better lives for our children and young people. Find out more about our values here: TACT offer an excellent employee benefits package including:
An opportunity has arisen for a Senior Supervising Social Worker with more than two years post qualifying experience with an IFA or LA fostering team who is ready to progress their career into a Senior role. The role would be to support our carers in the Kent and West Sussex areas so knowledge of the area and willingness to travel is essential. You will be joining us a Senior Supervising Social Worker which will give you the opportunity to get involved in:
You will have a caseload of approximately 12 families, and you will be part of a team covering Surrey / Sussex, Croydon, Kent and South London. You will need to have a BA or MA in Social Work to be a qualified and registered with Social Work England. An Enhanced DBS clearance is also required and will be processed by TACT on your behalf. The successful applicant will be required to support Duty and Out of Hours on a rota basis and will be paid an out of hours’ allowance of £1,500 per annum once participating in the rota. Please see the Job Information Pack and Job Description for further information. Closing Date: Midnight – Monday, 27th June 2022 Interviews: Monday, 4th July 2022 (via Microsoft Teams) Safeguarding is everyone’s business and TACT believe that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work. As part of TACT’s commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children. We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard TACT’s young people. All our staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies. TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them. TACT reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Full details and application documents here  Salary – £21,536 - £22,613 per annum (maximum job rate, which is performance related, is £23,689 per annum) Hours – 38 hours per week Location – Norwich, Norfolk About Break
Nobody chooses the family or circumstances they are born into. At Break we firmly believe that with the right care, there is no limit to what can be achieved. We work across East Anglia with children and young people on the edge of care, in care and leaving care. Whether you’re interested in working in our residential homes and short breaks for children with disabilities, our pioneering Staying Close Staying Connected project or vital essentials like our family assessment centre and wraparound care offer, one thing is universal: you’ll be joining a team of passionate and dedicated individuals who want the very best for the young people they care for. At Break we invest in the future of our staff just as we do for the young people in our services. We strive to provide the highest quality of care, so whether you’re just starting your career in children’s social care or are already qualified, you’ll be supported, recognised and rewarded for your essential part in our vital work. This role will work in our Staying Close Staying Connected project, Staying Close Staying Connected, one of eight pilot models for leaving care being funded by the Department of Education. For children in care, turning 18 can mean finding themselves on a cliff-edge of support. This service is truly leading the way nationally in terms of leaving care provision. About the Role We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic individual who wants to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged young people. As a Break Transition Worker, you’ll be working closely with young people who have recently left their children’s residential care home and are taking their first steps into independence. Success in this role will very much hinge on the strong, trusting relationship you’ll build with the group of young people you’re working with. You’ll make regular visits to their home and support them to increase their independent living skills. Whether that means teaching them one of your signature dishes (talk to Transition Worker Matt in Cambridgeshire for his Weetabix burger recipe), helping them to pay bills, applying for benefits or filling in a job application the role you will play in young people’s lives will be fundamental in supporting mental health, wellbeing and their future. You will help them break down the barriers they might feel as a young person leaving care, and be the best possible version of themselves as they enter independence. You’ll work flexibly and have a can do attitude, be able to adapt your working to suit the individuals or professionals you’re working with, be calm under pressure and be resilient enough to cope with challenging emotions and behaviours. To be successful in the role you’ll be patient, a good team player, and a problem solver. In your role, you’ll have access to the following benefits:
Full details of the role, including a job description and person specification can be found within the ‘documents’ section via the link below. Closing date: Sunday, 26th June 2022 Interview dates: We will interview suitable candidates as they apply. This means the role may close at short notice and without prior warning. The first interview will be a Safe Care/ Warner style interview. If successful after the first interview, candidates will then be expected to attend a formal interview. To comply with the Immigration Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 and additional amendments, and UK Visa’s and Immigrations (UKVI) requirements, all prospective employees will be asked to supply evidence of eligibility to work in the UK. We will ask to see and take a copy of an appropriate official document as set out in the UKVI guidelines. Do not send anything now, further information will be sent to you should you be invited to interview. We are committed to equality of opportunity. Your current immigration status will not be taken into account when assessing your application against the selection criteria for the post. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. For more information on this job opportunity, please initially email or call the HR Team via the contact details found on our website. Full details and application documents here  Location: University Hospitals Plymouth Contract type: Permanent Hours: 18.5 Salary: £27,814 (Full Time Equivalent) £13,907 (Pro Rata) Closing Date: 4 July 2022 Interview Date: 22 July 2022 Social Worker role – Complications of Excess Weight (CEW) Service
You will have received a Project Worker 3 job description and employee specification. This is a generic role in use throughout Barnardo's. Information about the Service An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a new Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) service at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP). NHS England (NHSE) recently commissioned in June 2021 several regional centres throughout England to develop a national service to provide specialised treatment for complications of excess weight (CEW) in children and young people. In the Southwest of England, we are developing a hub and spoke model for running these services. The Devon hub will be based at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) developing the 7-18 year service, with a partnership in Cornwall developing the 0-6 year service forming a unique partnership flagship service for children who are at the most severe end of the spectrum of unhealthy overweight. UHP are therefore recruiting to this new service in Devon a team of multidisciplinary professionals to form a collaborative Complications of Excess weight (CEW) Multidisciplinary team to assess and treat children with complex obesity and its related severe health complications using innovative and new strategies in paediatric care. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills and network across other sites and to support as this new service grows. This is a brand new role and therefore it is an exciting opportunity to have a real impact. We are looking for a qualified, registered and experienced social worker. You will be an effective communicator with excellent organisational skills, and the ability to work with colleagues from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, both internally and across external agencies. You will also be flexible and adaptable and able to meet the needs of a developing service. The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) team will also provide advice regionally for the care of patients and be expected to deliver education to regional centres to help them establish more local services that can cater for their population. Services will be run through a combination of face to face and virtual contact to ensure good uptake of management strategies and facilitate improved care. The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) team will also be collaborating with other commissioned centres to share knowledge and experience to improve outcomes for patients nationally. Information about the role This particular post is for a qualified and experienced social worker who will be seconded from Barnardo's to UHP to work as part of this multidisciplinary team. The post will involve the worker:
The nature of working with children and young people requires some flexibility in working hours will be required and access to transport is desirable in order to effectively provide a city-wide service. Please note that the social worker is expected to be a core member of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) which is likely to meet most Fridays in person at UHP, and the role will sometimes include working outside of normal office hours. This is a new way of working and the role will involve being comfortable in working with colleagues from other backgrounds and disciplines. We are looking for someone with the relevant qualifications and experience, but also someone who is:
If you have any questions about this role, please email: rob.harrison@barnardos.org.uk. Please note you must be a qualified and registered social worker to be able to apply for this role. Thank you – we look forward to receiving your application. Please review the role details on Barnardo's website and apply through this, and do not apply via Indeed. Barnardo's offers a hybrid working model covered under our `Work from Anywhere' Framework, therefore vacancies advertised with this as an opportunity are open for applicants to either work from home or any location within the UK, including Barnardo's Hub/Office that is a reasonable distance from your home address. Flexibility Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. About Barnardo's At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role. Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's. Full details and application documents here  Salary: £23,545.10 - £31,301 Location: Halesowen Contract type: Permanent Hours: 36.25 Closing Date: 18 July 2022 We are looking for an experienced administrator to join the Midlands Fostering Families Service.
The service recruits and supports children and foster carers across the midlands and we are looking for a senior administrator that will manage a team of administrators providing the support to the social work team. The main office is based in Halesowen and you will need to be able to work from this base when necessary. Because the service is Midlands wide it is essential that you can travel to other offices occasionally. Key roles
Please contact marcia.briscoe@barnardos.org.uk for further information Barnardo's offers a hybrid working model covered under our `Work from Anywhere' Framework, therefore vacancies advertised with this as an opportunity are open for applicants to either work from home or any location within the UK, including Barnardo's Hub/Office that is a reasonable distance from your home address. Flexibility Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. About Barnardo's At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role. Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's. https://jobs.barnardos.org.uk |
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