Assistant Director (Yorkshire and East Midlands)
Closing Date - 10th February 2020
Full Time 37.5 hours per week
Salary Banding - £52,633.30 – 58,413.97 per annum
Please note we do not operate a performance related reward system or automatic incremental payments

Team Fostering is an ethical not for profit fostering agency with a strong reputation and track record for providing high quality, value for money fostering placements for looked after children. We pride ourselves on our values and we expect our staff to commit to and demonstrate these values in their everyday work.

We are looking for an ‘outstanding and committed’ individual with substantial experience of providing services to looked after children to lead the provision and development of our fostering service in the Yorkshire and East Midlands region. You must have an understanding of the commercial drivers in today’s marketplace, the role of independent fostering providers and their working relationship with local authorities and be capable of successfully delivering new opportunities to enhance our agency.

The post holder will act as the Registered Manager and be responsible for the day to day management of all aspects of the service provided by the regional office. Working as an integral member of the senior leadership team, you will have a sound knowledge of current legislation, including regulations, guidance and standards, and will work to promote our ethical not for profit status.

As the ideal candidate you will have demonstrable experience of formulating and delivering business development strategies within an independent fostering agency and have the  communication and engagement skills to challenge ideas and positively manage change.  You will have a flair for influencing and negotiating in high pressure situations whilst building strong and lasting relationships with the ability to constructively lead, drive and influence internal and external stakeholders.  You will be a person with the ability to provide insightful debate and recommendations to the Board through professional experience.

Above all, you will have excellent leadership, strategic vision, communication and interpersonal skills and be hardworking, positive, and motivated to improve outcomes for looked after children.

The post is based in Sheffield however you will be required to work flexibly across the Yorkshire and East Midlands region. There will also be a requirement to travel to our offices in the North East.

For an informal chat about the post please contact Jane Butler, CEO on 0114 2617762.

To apply, complete an Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form (accessible via the link below) and return by email to hr@teamfostering.co.uk no later than 9am on 10th February 2020.

All posts require an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

Closing date: 9am on 10th February 2020

Interviews will be held on 28th February and 2nd March 2020

Please note if you are shortlisted for interview we will contact you via the email you have provided. Please ensure you check your emails regularly.

Thank you for your interest in Team Fostering and taking the time to apply for this position.

Full details and application details here

At Team Fostering our mission statement is simple; Putting Children's Futures First. This embodies our not-for-profit status that drives all decision-making with children at heart, and is embedded throughout the agency.

As an agency with ethical aims we continually seek ways to improve our service, whether that's through innovative support packages for carers, unique training opportunities or child-centred initiatives. In turn this supports foster carers to meet the needs of children and young people in their care.

To this end, in 2018 we partnered with John Sands, a clinical psychologist to form our own Psychological Support Service, a new service that offers foster carers further specialised support. John's work is underpinned by attachment and resilience theories that align with the therapeutic framework used by Team Fostering, The Secure Base Model. 

The service initially launched as a 1-year pilot to run from 2018 to 2019 but, following an extremely positive response from foster carers, it was extended to continue into Summer 2020. The aim of the service is to provide support and information to carers and staff that will strengthen their ability to tailor care for individual children, providing them with an opportunity to recover from early traumatic experiences. 

John continues to be available across four of Team Fostering's offices; North Tyneside, Middlesbrough, Sheffield and South Normanton; for one day each month. There are two elements to the service; workshops that are open to all carers and staff in the morning, followed by individual consultations over the afternoon. By adopting this model we hope to be able to support as many carers as possible, both to enhance their understanding of the impact of trauma on children and how to help them recover from their experiences, but also to have the opportunity to talk in detail about particular issues.

Team Fostering is an independent, not-for-profit fostering agency covering the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands. If you're interested in becoming a foster carer, contact us to learn more about the role, support, training and salary by:

calling us on 0800 292 2003
emailing info@teamfostering.co.uk
submitting an online enquiry by clicking here
 
Source:
www.teamfostering.co.uk

Fostering is an amazing role and one that can be incredibly rewarding, but it is certainly not without challenging times. As a foster carer you look after children and young people in your home as part of your family, and while our foster carers describe the experience of watching them grow as incredible, some of these children have come from traumatic backgrounds that impact their emotional wellbeing, behaviour and development.

For many, Christmas is an exciting time as children and adults alike look forward to time with loved ones, festive cheer, gifts and celebrations. Sometimes fostering a child who hasn’t experienced this before can give you the opportunity to introduce them to the many festivities of Christmas day, which can be exciting and fulfilling. However, it can be a difficult time for those who may not understand why they aren’t at home with their parents or who are overwhelmed by a festive buzz that they aren’t used to, stirring up a range of emotions that might be challenging for you to manage.

Where possible, speak with the child’s social worker about what Christmas meant for them before coming into your care. Was it celebrated at all? Were there religious elements to their Christmas? What about their experiences with gifts, Christmas food or other traditions? This isn’t to say that you’ll match their past experiences bit by bit, as there will be many whose previous neglect at Christmas (and throughout the year) will shock you, but it is useful to understand how different your own traditions may be, so that you can prepare to accommodate them and welcome them without overwhelming them.

Over the festive period you’re likely to have more guests in the home than usual or be out and about at the homes of friends and family. It might be worth, if possible and where you haven’t already, introducing the child or young person you’re looking after to many of these people ahead of festivities so that they aren’t overwhelmed with lots of new introductions in a short amount of time or in a small and busy space. Team Fostering’s foster carers also advise remembering to be patient and understanding. Recognise that when things don’t go to plan it’s not yours or the child’s fault, but a result of a lot of emotional challenges and past experiences that are often heightened at this time of year. Remember your support network, your fellow foster carers, supervising social worker and friends, and remember that you are entitled to support from your agency at any time of the year, day and night.

At Team Fostering our 24/7 support service runs throughout Christmas and the New Year so that foster carers are never without a local support worker to contact for help and guidance. Over December we host Christmas events that allow children and young people to celebrate with others in care and with similar backgrounds, where last year a child commented ‘the best part of today was knowing I was around people that were like me’.

We wish everyone the best over the festive season and look forward to spending some time with foster carers and young people.

Team Fostering is an independent, not-for-profit fostering agency that recruits and trains foster carers across the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands. If you're interested in fostering we're here to answer any questions you have about the pay, support and training you will be given by us.

Reach us by:
calling 0800 292 2003
emailing info@teamfostering.co.uk
submitting an online enquiry by clicking here​

Source: www.teamfostering.co.uk

​Every year, Team Fostering promotes the national campaign as part of the agency's commitment to looking after young people as the get ready to leave care, continuing to invest in their futures post-18.

This year, IMO's theme for the campaign is future aspirations, following a successful 2018 focus on younger selves. Last year, young people about to leave care were encouraged to think about what they would say to their younger selves if they were given the chance, contributing to IMO's #DearYoungerMe. For 2019, care leavers all over the country were invited to contribute to a #DearFutureMe campaign, sharing what they would like to say to themselves in 10 years time.

Team Fostering held one of its residential activities for young people in care earlier in October, which proved a great opportunity to get those approaching 18 to contribute their own thoughts. They considered what their inspirations were for the future, employment and personal goals, as well as general kind thoughts that they hoped they would remember in 10 years. These were written across postcards provided by IMO, shared nationally as part of their campaign, and you can see our top Team Fostering picks below.

As an agency, Team Fostering is committed to offering support and guidance to children in care as they approach, and pass, 18. As well as working with foster carers to provide 'staying put' agreements up to the age of 21, we also have designated 'life skills workers' who work with these young people to support education and employment applications and interviews, independent living skills and more. What's more, the agency has a fantastic team of foster carers, many of whom keep in touch with young people they've looked after following their moving onto independence. In fact, throughout the week we'll be sharing some examples of young people that are still in touch with foster carers several years after leaving their care! 

Team Fostering is an independent, not-for-profit fostering agency with ethical aims that strive to put children's futures first. Operating in this ethical way means that more funds can be invested in the support, services and benefits offered to our foster carers and the children that they look after.

To learn more about becoming a foster carer with Team Fostering, contact us by:

calling 0800 292 2003
emailing info@teamfostering.co.uk
submitting an online enquiry form by clicking here

By Steve Elliff, Education and Support Service Manager

"Where did September go? Now we’re fully embraced in Autumnal weather and darker evenings, we’ve been reflecting on the many good times we’ve had this summer at Team Fostering, looking a little closer at the importance of year-round opportunities on offer to fostering families, children and young people.
At Team Fostering we have a dedicated ‘Education and Support Service’ that offers education-led support alongside activities, trips and holidays. The package provided embraces the fact that learning doesn’t end in the classroom, with personal and social development key areas that help young people succeed in life.

In fact, our annual caravan holiday couldn’t be any further away from a day in a classroom, instead offering a fun and active week for children to play, explore, learn and develop. This year, our Yorkshire and East Midlands region spent a week in Filey, on a holiday jam-packed with activities and events. This ranged from night-time walks and surfing lessons at Clayton Bay through to a ‘Team Day’, rounders and a picnic at Sewerby Hall. Planning a holiday for 150 people (foster carers, family members, children and staff) takes quite some time, but is so valuable to the agency as we watch young people make new friends and try new things, building their confidence and developing their independence. The holiday embraces everything about our mission statement; ‘Putting Children’s Futures First’.

The annual holiday begins with a meet and greet for children, foster carers and staff to get to know one another, with children quickly making friends and families subsequently flurrying to book onto activities together to allow these friendships to develop. A small staff group attend, who are on call to keep things running smoothly and offer support. Team Fostering, as a child-focused organisation, encourages staff to bring their own family on the holiday, and this further helps in bringing everyone closer together.

This year’s holiday felt extra-special. While we always receive very positive feedback from all attendees, this year we were pleased to hear that new carers found the holiday formed an important part of their induction year. Coming along to spend time together had enabled them to meet other carers that they can now approach for support and advice. This is fantastic, as we understand some newly approved foster carers can feel anxious about ‘fitting in’. Several carers whose children and young people became friends during the holiday have taken the opportunity to arrange future meet-ups so that their children can spend time with their new friends, and that is incredible.

We’re very lucky to work alongside such fantastic foster carers, who together with their families and support networks look after incredible children and young people. Thank you to all who attended our Filey holiday, and… roll on next year!"

Source:
www.teamfostering.co.uk

Team Fostering is an agency that prides itself on promoting diversity and operating with zero-tolerance towards discrimination.

We sometimes hear from LGBTQ+ individuals and couples who mistakenly believe that their sexuality will prevent them from becoming foster carers. At Team Fostering we have many LGBTQ+ fostering families, some who foster as single carers and some who foster as couples. 

This September we're promoting Team Fostering as 'An agency to call Home' and are celebrating the diversity of our foster carers, staff and children. We have recently renewed our agency membership to New Family Social, the UK’s leading charity for promoting LGBTQ+ fostering and adoption. As an agency member our foster carers are entitled to free individual memberships to the service which offers a national support network for carers and adopters. Many of our foster carers find this extremely helpful with access to a platform to share experiences, speak with other LGBTQ+ foster carers and access a range of resources for fostering.

There are certain criteria all of our foster carers, regardless of sexuality or gender, need to meet. For example, foster carers need to be over 21, be able to drive and have a spare bedroom that could be used for a child or young person. For further information and to check if you meet this basic criteria, you can do so by clicking here.

Team Fostering is an independent, not-for-profit fostering agency that operates across Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the North East. We are proud to support LGBTQ+ fostering and welcome enquiries from a diverse range of families.

To learn more about fostering with Team Fostering or discuss any eligibility concerns you have, call us on 0800 292 2003, email info@teamfostering.co.uk or use our online enquiry form to request a callback.

Source:
https://www.teamfostering.co.uk

These Three Words, by Jess van der Hoach, has been praised recently in the fostering sector for the way it links together the feelings, emotions and behaviours associated with anxiety, with some of the therapeutic tools that can be used in order to enable better self-regulation, increased confidence and different ways of thinking.

Jenny*, a young person in care with Team Fostering, recently read the book and praised it highly. She has put together the below book review.

'Why I enjoyed These Three Words'

Written by Jenny*, aged 12

'The story is about a girl called Luna Ray with anxiety, which is unusual because you don’t find many books like it. Luna is a teenager who has been through a lot but doesn’t understand. My favourite character was Luna’s mother, but she thought Luna was just a ‘normal typical teenager’. During the story Luna starts to overcome her anxiety.

I think the writer wanted to tell this story because she wrote it for her daughter and I think she must have anxiety. The book made me feel like Luna, the main character, was discovering something new and different techniques, it made me feel inspired. It made me think about how anxiety works and it taught me a few good things.

It was a good story because it helps people with anxiety and teaches ways to reground yourself, because not all people can get counsellors.

I think it is important to say that the book helped me think about my anxiety. I would recommend this book because it’s helpful and it works to help people like Luna and I.'

Team Fostering is committed to working with children and young people to overcome any challenges they are facing, and it's great to hear of books like this that just remind children that they aren't alone in their challenges. 

We are an ethical, not-for-profit agency with a strong mission statement of 'Putting Children's Futures First.'

We continue to recruit foster carers who share our values, offering our carers comprehensive support, innovative training and competitive fees.

If you're interested in joining Team Fostering we would be delighted to hear from you, whether you have or haven't fostered before.

You can reach us in the following ways:

send an online enquiry by clicking here
email us via info@teamfostering.co.uk
call us on 0800 292 2003
 
*name amended

Source:
www.teamfostering.co.uk

Fostering is an extremely rewarding role, but is not without its challenges. Making the decision to become a foster carer can be incredible, giving you the opportunity to truly change the lives of children and young people who may not have had the best start in life.

Many of the children and young people in care have had traumatic experiences early in life that have led them to being in care. As a result, they may present challenging behaviours that can be difficult to manage without the right training and support. We train our foster carers but we also have local, dedicated placements departments that carefully consider the behaviours and experiences of each child when looking for prospective matches among our foster carers.

Part of our ethical approach at Team Fostering means that our staff get to know foster carers during assessment and approval. Following your approval, a member of our local placements team would arrange a visit with you, where they would establish a thorough understanding of your family and home life, experiences and skills. Building this relationship with you means that when local authorities referred children and young people to us, we could quickly determine whether they would be a positive match for your family, a match that is likely to result in a positive outcome for the young person. We provide our foster carers with all of the information given to us about each child or young person where we believe there is a good match. While we would never recommend you looked after a child or young person unless we truly believed it to be a good match, you would be able to say no if you felt that the match was not right for your family.

If you were to welcome a child or young person into your home following a positive match, you would be provided with comprehensive support, innovative training and competitive fees that would allow you to commit to the role full-time. We aim to keep all children and young people in our care in stable environments, but we understand that fostering is challenging and we would be right by your side to help in any uncertain times. There are many different types of fostering, including short term and long term. You can read about these by clicking here.'

Team Fostering is a not-for-profit agency, which means we can invest all of our resources into putting children’s futures first. We operate across the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands, with a team of amazing foster carers and staff. If you’d like to join us and become one of our foster carers, we would love to hear from you, whether you’ve fostered before or even if you’re completely new to the role.

Contact us today to learn more:

Call our Recruitment Administrator, Sam, on 0800 292 2003
Send an online enquiry by clicking here
Email us via info@teamfostering.co.uk

Source:
https://www.teamfostering.co.uk

If you’re thinking of fostering, you’ll have likely heard the term ‘Panel’ used when agencies or local authorities describe their recruitment process to you. You’ll have an understanding that members of a Panel will make recommendations on your suitability to foster. But how does this work, and what else are Fostering Panels responsible for?

Fostering agencies and services across the UK will establish Panels for several reasons. Team Fostering have established Panels in each region to carry out a range of functions, including;

• Making recommendations on applicants’ suitability to foster and the terms of each family approval;
• Considering reviews of foster carers, mainly annual reviews, and making recommendations about any changes to foster carer suitability or any changes to the terms of approval;
• To oversee the conduct of foster carer assessments and provide advice to the agency;
• To make recommendations to the agency about the termination of a foster carer appointment.

Subsequently, the role of the Panel is extremely important to the agency and not confined to one sole purpose. Panel members need to take on the above in Panel Meetings and therefore must be able to act fairly and impartially. So, how does the agency appoint an appropriate, balanced Panel?

Team Fostering aims to ensure its Panel members represent the diversity of the community, and as individuals and a group have expertise and experience necessary to make appropriate decisions. Each Panel will comprise of an Independent Chairperson or Vice Chair with experience of fostering and childcare social work at practitioner and management level, a Team Fostering Manager who will attend as the Agency Advisor, a Team Fostering social worker with at least 3 years post-qualifying experience and Independent Panel Members. Independent Panel Members are those that can offer a range of insight and expertise into making recommendations and will likely include a Medical Advisor, a qualified solicitor, someone with recent experience of fostering children, someone with personal experience of being fostered and/or someone with professional experience in educational matters. A dedicated minute-taker will be present in all Panel Meetings to make a written record of Panel discussion, recommendations and reasons for recommendations. This is shared with the agency’s appointed Agency Decision Maker who will make decisions and qualifying determinations after considering the information presented.

We ensure all Panel Members are subject to DBS and other statutory checks and follow a thorough recruitment process when looking for new members. Our Panel Members attend regular training and workshops to continually integrate their expertise with an understanding of Team Fostering as a not-for-profit agency, and we seek regular feedback form foster carers who have attended Panel to ensure that our values and behaviours are reflected in all meetings.

Team Fostering is a not-for-profit, independent fostering agency that operates across the North East, Yorkshire and East Midlands. Our ethical values and our not-for-profit status means that rather than pay shareholders we have the ability to reinvest more funds into the service we offer to foster carers, children and young people. This means that foster carers at the agency are supported with competitive weekly fees, comprehensive support services across the board and innovative training and development opportunities.

To learn more about fostering with Team Fostering, regardless of previous experience, contact us:

Make an online enquiry by clicking here
Call us on 0800 292 2003
Email info@teamfostering.co.uk

Source:
www.teamfostering.co.uk