Barnardo's Scotland is looking for a committed and experienced Practice Manager to join our Fostering team in Glasgow. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people, while working within a supportive and passionate team.

Please note: Applicants must hold a Social Work qualification, be registered with the SSSC, and have experience in the fostering field.

About the Role
As a Practice Manager, you will play a key role in leading and supporting our fostering services across the West of Scotland. You'll work closely with foster carers, young people, local authorities, and colleagues across Scotland and the wider UK.

What We're Looking For
We're seeking someone who brings:

• Proven staff management experience
• Strong partnership working skills with carers, education, health, and social work professionals
• In-depth knowledge of fostering legislation and frameworks
• Confidence using IT systems and a solid understanding of Data Protection
• A clear commitment to The Promise and improving outcomes for young people

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Location: Homebased with travel required around East Midlands regions (Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire & Peterborough)

This role will report directly to the Operational Director of Children’s Services and is non-case holding role, however, there may be the need to occasionally cover casework due to staff sickness or leave.

In this role you will be responsible for the smooth running of a staff team of Deputy Area Managers, Social Workers, Family Finders, Recruitment Managers & Officers, Consultants, Panel Members, Administration Team and Children’s and Young People’s Resource Workers. 

The main role requirements for the Fostering Registered Area Manager role includes:

• A Level 5 Management Qualification (or a willingness to enrol on such a course within 6 months of appointment and to complete within 3 years)
• A minimum of 3 – 5 years post qualifying experience in fostering or in other childcare settings
• A proven track record in working with and on behalf of children, respecting and maintaining their individuality and promoting their positive development
• Experience of managing a diverse and experienced team, ideally remotely
• Experience of group work and/or delivery of training
• Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation including the Fostering National Minimum Standards and Fostering regulations
• Ability to prioritise, plan and self-organise efficiently
• Excellent communication skills and ability to use IT effectively, including participating in virtual meetings and webinars.
• Ensuring regulatory compliance including service monitoring
• Responsible for the safeguarding of children and young people
• Taking part in the out-of-hours rota.
• Delivery of the Service Operational Plan which will include the management of budget and contracts
• Being a Panel Advisor
  

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Fair Ways is delighted to announce that Lauren Steadman, Paralympic gold medallist, triathlete, and motivational speaker, has joined us as our first Fair Ways Ambassador.

Lauren is a true inspiration – a world-class athlete who has overcome challenges with strength and determination, using her platform to promote inclusion, resilience, and positive wellbeing. Her values perfectly reflect those of Fair Ways, where we work every day to help children, young people, and adults in care, realise their own potential.

As Ambassador, Lauren will support Fair Ways in raising awareness of the incredible work our teams do across Education, Family Services, Residential, and community services. She will also engage directly with young people within Fair Ways, sharing her story and helping inspire confidence, self-belief, and hope.

Click here to read to full article

This winter, our Secret Santa TV advert is back on TV. Why? To ask for your help. We want to put the magic back into Christmas for vulnerable children.

The Action for Children Christmas TV ad will be running again this year, giving people around the country the chance to experience the magic of our Secret Santa Christmas appeal.

The story behind the Christmas ad
The advert features three of our campaign's characters – Nathan, Lucy and Tripti. Narrating the advert is Larry Lamb. He shares their individual stories as they come to life through Christmas cards displayed on a festive mantlepiece.

Nathan, Lucy and Tripti represent the 4.5 million children across the UK living in poverty. It’s easy to think that poverty happens elsewhere, but it’s affecting children in your community. For many, Christmas is just another day of empty cupboards, putting on an extra jumper to keep warm, and wondering why their friend got presents when they didn’t.

Click here to read the full article

In December 2023, the Education Committee launched an inquiry into children’s social care in England. Together Trust provided written and oral evidence. 

In July 2025, the Education Committee published its report, highlighting rising demand, increasing local authority costs, and poor outcomes for some children. Its recommendations to the government were thoughtful and comprehensive. 

The government’s response, gives the impression of a “wait and see” approach. Many recommendations were dismissed or only partially addressed, with little urgency shown to tackle the current crisis in children’s social care. 

Click here for a summary of what we asked for, what the Committee recommended, and how the government responded. 

Join Barnardo's Scotland Fostering North as a Supervising Social Worker

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people? Barnardo's Scotland Fostering North is looking for a dedicated Qualified Supervising Social Worker to join our dynamic and supportive team.

Hours: 30 per week (flexible working arrangements available)

Location: Hybrid, with travel across mainly in Moray and Highland and occasionally in Aberdeen, and Aberdeenshire. Wider travel across Scotland/England may be required for meetings and training. Our team meets both online and in-person at our Aberdeen office. 

About the Role
You'll be part of a multidisciplinary team including social workers, children's workers, therapists, managers, and administrative staff. Together, we recruit, supervise and support foster carers who provide safe, nurturing homes for looked after children and young people referred by Local Authorities.

Click here for full job details 

This Christmas, we’re inviting you to give differently and help us raise £15,000 to expand our life-changing mentoring programme for young people in care.

For many growing up in care, having a roof over their head may offer some stability but what can truly make a difference is having someone they can trust - someone to guide them through life’s ups and downs, to listen to them, to believe in them.

That’s why our volunteer mentors mean so much. Our mentoring programme pairs young people with trusted adults who guide them through life’s challenges, share experiences, build confidence, and create lasting friendships. These relationships often last for years, offering the kind of consistency and trust that’s rare in the lives of young people in care.

Click here to read the full article

Our TACT North West team took 13 of our foster care households out for a day of partying and fun – courtesy of a donation provided by John Lewis.

The day consisted of face painting, dancing, a raffle, a visit from Stitch (of Lilo & Stitch fame), a photo booth, buffet, TACT sweets and cupcakes – and some very special performances from two of our talented TACT young people!

Wellbeing events for our fostering families are so important as they provide a platform for our young people to make new friends or to catch up on existing friendships. They also provide a space for our foster carers to connect with other carers and our staff. Wellbeing and mental health for all is the overriding factor, and the memories and experiences generated at events such as these are priceless.

Click here to read the full article

It was October 2024 when I made calls and had Teams meetings with various colleagues and management across various fostering services to declare my intention to submit an application to Ofsted to register EPIC Fostering.

​I was rather nervous, mostly because human nature is to jump to conclusions that I must up to something for pure personal benefit, though in actual fact, EPIC Fostering has never and isn’t intended to be all guns out competition to those services who already offer so much to their fostering families. It is about offering an alternative to those people that feel they have been beaten by broken and unnecessary systems, structures, senior leadership teams, or are simply ready for a change to reignite that passion for doing something extraordinary for children who are in the unfortunate position of being in care.

EPIC Fostering is proud to part of The EPIC Family CIC, in a nutshell this means we’re not-for-proft, and drive for an empathic and collaborative working approach.

I wanted to create a fostering service whereby it’s most senior leader truly knows what it is like to foster in the here and now. I can truly say that I live it day in and day out, as we currently at the time of writing are fostering two siblings, as well as being the legal dads on a Special Guardianship Order to our dearest ‘nearly’ 5 year old and her 10 year old brother. I continue to be part of some fabulous Fostering Panels across the country for a Local Authority and some other Agencies for which I am a very active Vice Chair. I see amazing practice, and feel privileged to meet some of the most amazing people in my work.

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We require a Social Worker to support foster carers in Somerset and Devon. The successful applicants will be joining a forward-thinking team with focus on the child being central to decision making. The roles are homebased with a requirement for regular travel to meet carers face to face locally, attend team meetings in Bristol monthly, and for other wellbeing and team events as necessary.

If you want to be valued as a professional, be appreciated at work and contribute to better outcomes for the children and young people connected with TACT, apply now.  

Main role requirements:

• Post qualifying experience in family placement work or post qualifying experience in other childcare settings.
• A proven track record in working with and on behalf of children, respecting and maintaining their individuality and promoting their positive development.
• Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation including the Fostering National Minimum Standards and Fostering regulations.
• Experience of working with/supporting looked after children and their foster carers.
• Thorough and consistent administrative and report writing skills plus excellent communication and relationship building skills.
• The skills to prioritise and work autonomously, against potentially conflicting deadlines with regard to regulatory requirements.
• The ability to support our fostertactfostering.org.uk/job/senior-supervising-social-worker/ carers and their families to achieve the best outcomes for the children in their care.

Click here for full job details