The Government has recently published a new national action plan, ‘Renewing Fostering: homes for 10,000 more children’, setting out how it intends to reform fostering and make it more accessible across England.

At The Children’s Family Trust, we welcome the ambition behind this plan. Like many fostering charities, we see first-hand the growing need for more safe, loving foster homes – especially for children who need to stay close to their communities, schools and siblings.

So what does this plan actually mean, and how could it affect fostering charities like ours?

Why fostering reform matters
The action plan acknowledges something the sector has been saying for years – there simply are not enough foster carers. As a result, too many children are placed far from home or in residential settings when a family environment would better meet their needs.

The Government’s commitment to creating 10,000 more foster homes recognises that foster carers are central to improving outcomes for children and young people. Importantly, the plan also recognises that recruitment alone is not enough – carers need the right support to stay.

 What this means for The Children's Family Trust
 As a fostering charity, our focus has always been on relationships, stability and high-quality support. Several aspects of the action plan strongly align with how we already work:

• Greater recognition of support and retention – The plan highlights the importance of training, peer support and ongoing guidance for carers. This reflects our belief that foster carers thrive when they feel valued, listened to and well supported.
• Reducing unnecessary barriers – Proposed changes to assessment processes and outdated rules aim to make fostering more accessible, without compromising safety. This could help more people progress through the fostering journey with confidence.
• Increased collaboration – Investment in regional working and shared recruitment could strengthen local placement options and help charities like ours continue to offer personalised, community-based care.

While some changes will take time to implement, the direction of travel is encouraging - towards a fostering system that is more flexible, fair and focused on children’s real lives.

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Are you ready for a Senior Supervising Social Worker role with a difference?

At The Children’s Family Trust, we understand the commitment and emotional reward involved in supporting children, families, and carers. We offer manageable caseloads, strong team support, and the opportunity to work within a service that values reflective practice, wellbeing, and professional development.

This role provides the time and space to build meaningful relationships with Foster Carers and to make a positive, lasting difference in the lives of children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

• Support, supervise, and develop Foster Carers to provide safe and nurturing placements
• Promote the welfare, care, and development of foster children so they can achieve their full potential
• Contribute to the recruitment, assessment, and training of prospective Foster Carers
• Support the identification and development of suitable placements
• Provide guidance and mentoring to less experienced staff where appropriate
• Supervising, Advising and Supporting less experienced staff on practice issues
• Undertaking tasks delegated by the Registered Manager/Practice Team Manager
• Developing the CFT’s services within the region
• Mentoring less experienced Practitioners
• Provide specialist expertise in an agreed area of social work practice, contributing knowledge and skills which will benefit CFT on a wider scale
• Work collaboratively within a friendly, supportive team

Click here for full job details 

The CFT is a well-established Registered Charity and an Independent Fostering Agency. We provide a wide and varied range of foster placements but specialise in long term ‘Family for Life’ placements.    We firmly believe our Foster Carers are our most valuable resource deserving the highest levels of support and remuneration we can offer. We work in partnership with Local Authority Social Workers committed to keeping our children safe and secure in stable and loving families.

Panel Member:
We are currently seeking self-employed, independent fostering Panel Members to join our South Central panel, based in Hampshire.

The Successful Candidates:
Previous panel experience isn’t essential.  We look at recruiting panel members from a wide variety of backgrounds including professionals with a background in health, education, care or experienced fostering Social Workers. 

You must have had experience either professionally or personally or both, of the placement of children in foster care.

Applicants must be able to contribute to all fostering panel functions including; making recommendations on the assessment and approval of foster carer applicants, foster carer reviews and terminations of approval and be able to demonstrate a thorough and robust approach to assessing written information.

Click here for full job details

We currently have vacancies in West Yorkshire, but welcome enquiries from other regions.

The Children’s Family Trust (CFT) is a well-established Registered Charity and an Independent Fostering Agency. We provide a wide and varied range of foster placements and have historically specialised in long term ‘Family for Life’ placements. We firmly believe our Foster Carers are our most valuable resource deserving the highest levels of support and remuneration we can offer. We work in partnership with Local Authority Social Workers committed to keeping our children safe and secure in stable and loving families. Plus we are an Ofsted Outstanding agency! 

Due to continued success and growth we are looking for independent, self-employed FORM F ASSESSORS.

The Core Tasks:

• To undertake and complete Form F assessments within the relevant timescales, all visits are in person (we do not carry these out virtually).
• To visit personal referees as identified on the application form for prospective Foster Carer(s).
• Ensure that all checks and references are undertaken and completed.
• Provide the Registered Manager with regular written updates regarding the completion of
• the Form F.
• To be available for supervision, consultation or liaison as required.
• To be available to present completed Form F’s to The CFT’s fostering panel and provide
• support to the applicants through this process.
• To be aware of The CFT safeguarding procedures and immediately report any
• safeguarding matter or concerns to the Registered Manager.

Click here for full job details

Are you looking for a Supervising Social Worker role with a difference? Are you ready for manageable caseloads, great benefits, and plenty of opportunities? How about continual training and progression within a friendly and committed team.  Well this could be the role for you.

JOB PURPOSE
You know how much hard work and dedication it takes to make a difference to the lives of children and young people. With low caseloads, you’ll have the time and resources to truly support our Foster Carers.

You’ll promote the safe care and development of our foster children so that they can achieve their full potential. You’ll get involved in the recruitment, assessment, and training of prospective Foster Carers, as well as pursuing suitable placements. Assist with supervising and supporting less experienced staff and acting as a mentor.

You’ll help a diverse range of people - reflective of the communities we work in, and will play a key part in a friendly, supportive charity where you’ll be rewarded for your hard work and results.

Click here for full job details 

Location: Bromsgrove

Salary: £2,100 upon successful completion of each Assessment + Mileage 

​Contract: Zero Hours

Hours: Part Time - Ad hoc

Closing: 18 September 2025

The Children’s Family Trust (CFT) is a well-established Registered Charity and an Independent Fostering Agency. We provide a wide and varied range of foster placements and have historically specialised in long term ‘Family for Life’ placements. We firmly believe our Foster Carers are our most valuable resource deserving the highest levels of support and remuneration we can offer. We work in partnership with Local Authority Social Workers committed to keeping our children safe and secure in stable and loving families. Plus we are an Ofsted Outstanding agency! 

Due to continued success and growth we are looking for independent, self-employed FORM F ASSESSORS.

For our West Midlands and East Midlands Regions

The Core Tasks:

• To undertake and complete Form F assessments within the relevant timescales, visits are in person.
• To visit personal referees as identified on the application form for prospective Foster Carer(s).
• Ensure that all checks and references are undertaken and completed.
• Provide the Registered Manager with regular written updates regarding the completion of the Form F.
• To be available for supervision, consultation or liaison as required.
• To be available to present completed Form F’s to The CFT’s fostering panel and provide support to the applicants through this process.
• To be aware of The CFT safeguarding procedures and immediately report any safeguarding matter or concerns to the Registered Manager.

Click here for full job details 

The Children’s Family Trust (CFT) is a well-established Registered Charity and an Independent Fostering Agency. We provide a wide and varied range of foster placements and have historically specialised in long term ‘Family for Life’ placements. We firmly believe our Foster Carers are our most valuable resource deserving the highest levels of support and remuneration we can offer. We work in partnership with Local Authority Social Workers committed to keeping our children safe and secure in stable and loving families. Plus we are an Ofsted Outstanding agency! 

Due to continued success and growth we are looking for independent, self-employed FORM F ASSESSORS for our North East office.

The Core Tasks:

• To undertake and complete Form F assessments within the relevant timescales, visits are in person.
• To visit personal referees as identified on the application form for prospective Foster Carer(s).
• Ensure that all checks and references are undertaken and completed.
• Provide the Registered Manager with regular written updates regarding the completion of the Form F.
• To be available for supervision, consultation or liaison as required.
• To be available to present completed Form F’s to The CFT’s fostering panel and provide support to the applicants through this process.
• To be aware of The CFT safeguarding procedures and immediately report any safeguarding matter or concerns to the Registered Manager.

Click here for full job details

Are you passionate about making a positive and lasting difference to children and young people?  Do you want to work for a Registered Charity and an IFA with ambitious plans for the future? If the answer is yes then this is a great opportunity to join our team.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate qualified Supervising Social Worker to join our experienced and successful team, someone who is reflective and creative in practice.  Working together with all stakeholders you will strive to ensure that our Foster Carers, children and young people in our care reach their full potential.  

Our staff are an integral part of our success and we are seeking to recruit a permanent part time Supervising Social Worker.  You will recruit, assess, and support our foster carers as well as make placements in response to referrals from Local Authorities. Our planed caseload management system ensures that we achieve excellent outcomes for our children and maintain a high-quality service.

Click here for full job details

Are you looking for a Supervising Social Worker role with a difference? Are you ready to join an organisation that makes a real difference to children while offering a highly competitive salary, great benefits, and plenty of opportunities, including continual training and progression?

We are now recruiting for a permanent Supervising Social Worker to join our highly dedicated and professional team.

The role will include undertaking specific tasks in relation to supporting foster carers and the children placed with them and includes:

• Recruit, assess, and monitor the continued suitability and competence of foster carers ensuring they provide a safe, healthy, nurturing and learning environment for children/young people.
• Ensure that carers fully understand the fostering task, competencies to be achieved and the standards expected, including complaints and representation procedures as detailed in The CFT’s Fostering’s policies and procedures
• Support Foster carers to evidence their competence against the Training Standards within specified timescales, assess evidence provided and sign off each standard where sufficient evidence has been provided
• Provide and record regular supervision to allocated foster carers in line with the CFT’s operational standards and undertake such additional support visits/telephone contact with foster carers as required taking into account all family members needs
• Contribute to Foster Carer Annual Reviews, within required timescales, providing written evidence of competence. Presenting Annual Review Reports to Review Fostering Panel as required
• Participate in negotiations between the agency and Local Authorities to ensure that each child or young person placed is carefully matched with a Foster Carer capable of meeting their needs
• Complete paperwork and procedures in relation to significant Incidents and Notifiable Events within company timescales
• Attend training in house to ensure you are fully up to date with legislation

​
Click here for full job details 

This year marks a special milestone for the Trust as we celebrate 80 years of delivering care, support, and belonging through our guiding value of ‘A Family For Life’. As part of our annual calendar, the Trust will soon hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM), taking place on September 3rd at our head office in Bromsgrove.

As a registered charity, our AGM provides an important opportunity to reflect on the past year, share updates on our work, present our financial position, and acknowledge the incredible contribution of our staff, foster carers, children, and wider community. It’s a time for connection, conversation, and collaboration.

While the AGM is a key part of our governance and accountability, it’s also a moment to come together – to share experiences, ask questions, and celebrate the achievements that make our Trust such a special place.

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