What is specialist fostering?
Specialist foster carers provide a stable and supportive environment for a young person with more complex and challenging emotional needs. This could be on a short term, respite, emergency or long term basis.
Our specialist foster carers work with the young person, and others involved with the young person, to an agreed plan in order to turn their lives around. Due to the demanding nature of the role, only one young person will be placed with you at any one time.
Being a specialist foster carer is a tough job – but one with huge rewards. With your help, each young person has the real potential to make positive changes in their lives.
What is the support package like?
We believe that the better we support you in your new career, the better you’re able to help a child to have a brighter future.
We offer an attractive financial package of up to £35,000 a year to our self-employed specialist foster carers:
- When you have a young person placed with you, you will be paid £750 a week, which includes an allowance for the child to cover their costs and your household expenses.
- When you are in between placements, we will pay you a retainer of £350 per week for up to 12 weeks at any one time.
As part of our specialist team of foster carers, you will also be given extensive training and support from a range of professionals, including:
- 24 hours a day social worker support and frequent face to face meetings
- Support from other specialist foster carers
- A comprehensive professional development programme.
- Access to a child psychiatrist, psychologist and a qualified education adviser.
- In addition, every specialist foster carer is entitled to 21 days respite per year
What do I need to become a specialist foster carer?
All specialist foster carers are talented people who have worked with children and young people in the past - perhaps in social work, foster care, youth work, residential childcare or teaching. As well as enthusiasm, patience and energy – and a belief that with the right support and environment, everyone has the potential to make positive changes in their lives - you will have a sound knowledge of child development stages and attachment issues.
There are also a number of practical considerations to bear in mind:
- You must live in the areas we are currently looking for specialist foster carers – currently, Essex or Sandwell
- You must have a spare bedroom
- As the young people placed with you will demand all your care and attention, you should not have any other dependent children under 18 living with you
- You must also be able to make specialist foster caring your main activity
- If you are part of a couple, one partner must be at home and not be in employment
- If you’re single, you should be at home and not be in employment
Where can I become a specialist foster carer?
St Christopher’s are urgently looking for specialist foster carers in Essex and Sandwell.
If you live in these areas and have experience of working with challenging young people - perhaps in social work, housing support, youth work, foster care or teaching – then we want to hear from you!
If you are interested in finding out more, register online, contact us by email fostering@stchris.org.uk, or call us on 0800 234 6282.
For more information on making placements with St Christopher's fostering services please click here or contact us on 0800 234 6282 or at fosteringduty@stchris.org.uk.