Contract: Full time, part time and permanent available

Package: Fees and allowances up to £657.13 per week per child – depending on the age and needs of the child and the type of fostering placement.

Would you like to join Cumbria’s biggest family?

Cumbria Fostering is looking for compassionate, caring and dedicated people to look after a children of all ages from Cumbria.

This is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to make a direct and positive impact on the lives of children and young adults, whilst also having flexibility and independence in a role where they are supported every step of the way. 

We need both short and long-term foster carers to care for a range of children including:

• Children of all ages (0-18 years)
• Teenagers
• Brothers and sisters
• Children with a range of disabilities
• Parent and child
• Emergency foster carers
• Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, who have left their parents and own countries and come to the UK

Types of Foster Care

There are different types of foster care to meet the different needs of the children and young people we care for. Some children need homes for a weekend or a few weeks, whereas some children need to stay for months, years or even longer.

The different types of foster carers we need include:                   

Long term - provides children and young people with a family to support them into adulthood.

Short term – provides support for a few days or months up to two years, depending on the circumstances of the child or young person.

Respite - part time foster care for children to help families in difficulty, providing a break for parents, children or full-time foster carers.

Shared Care - foster carers provide disabled children with regular short breaks by linking them with another family.

Parent and child - foster carers provide support, in their home, to young parent(s) caring for their new baby or very young child.

Emergency Foster Carers – provide children or young people somewhere safe to stay for a few nights until longer term arrangements can be made.

The Role

Becoming a Foster Carer is a varied, rewarding and challenging role, where every single day is different and you have the chance to make a huge difference to the emotional and physical wellbeing of a child or young person.

This could mean improving a child’s attendance at school or supporting them to step down from residential care back into a fostering ‘home’ environment. This really is a role like no other, and as a part of this, you will work with a dedicated team of professionals who will support through the training, assessment and approval stages, continuing even once you are improved.

Who are we looking for?

Foster Carers come from all walks of like, just like the children who need to be looked after.

We're looking for people who are patient, flexible, understanding, resilient and keen to learn. Your individual qualities and what you can offer to a child or young person are what matter to us. If you have fostered before and would like to return, or if you have ever thought about fostering, we can help you decide if fostering could be for you.

Fostering does not necessarily require people to be at home full-time, as different children will have different needs; the important thing is that you can arrange things to meet those needs. The fostering payments we provide may give you the flexibility to look at how you manage your working hours.

We already support over 250 foster families, but with more than 700 children in care in Cumbria, we are always looking for more people to join in.

To apply be a foster carer you must:

• Be over 21 years of age and fit and active enough to care for a child. There is no upper age limit but you need to be able to meet the needs of the child.
• Have a separate bedroom suitable for a child or young person (unless you are fostering a baby or child up to two years of age in which case the child can sleep in a cot in your bedroom).
• Be a full-time UK resident or have indefinite leave to remain.

As a foster carer with Cumberland Council, you will benefit from:

• 24 hour support and regular contact from a dedicated social worker
• Ongoing specialist training
• Peer support scheme
• Links with virtual school
• Access to respite
• Access to an EHWB (emotional health and wellbeing) worker

We believe that all children and young people have the right to be healthy, happy and safe; to be loved, valued and respected; and to have high hopes for their future. If you share this passion, then please get in touch today!

How to apply:

Find out more about fostering or - Make an enquiry by going to cumbriafostering.org.uk; - Call 0300 019 0200; - Message us on Facebook @cumbriafosteringandadoption

At Cumberland, we are dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role we would encourage you to apply! You might just be the candidate we're looking for.

Please view this Fostering Information Pack