Specialist Fostering Scheme

Specialist Fostering Scheme


Stockport Council’s fostering service is recruiting for specialist
carers who live within 20 miles of Stockport.

Working with our local children….

Some children need individual care and our specialist fostering scheme offers supportive placements to children and young people who display challenging and complex behaviours and would otherwise be placed in a residential setting.

The type of children and young people referred to the specialist fostering scheme are typically teenagers but there is no lower age limit. Not all children and young people need to be placed in solo placements; some children can be placed alongside other children including birth children which enables positive role modelling and positive peer relationships. All children and young people are carefully matched to the foster placement identified.

Specialist foster carers can have other caring commitments or children of their own at home. If you have children of their own they must be aged at least 5 years old. Our specialist foster carers enjoy the company of children and young people, have a sense of humour and the ability to see the positives wherever possible and have a good understanding of the experiences which the children and young people who require specialist foster placements have experienced and the reasons why children and young people are not able to remain living with their birth families.

Due to the complex needs of the children and young people referred to the scheme at least one of the Specialist Foster Carers (if a couple) will be required to be available on a full time basis. It is desirable for you to live in the Stockport area however this is not essential as long as you live close enough to Stockport to enable you to transport the child or young person to and from school and contact and for you to attend trainings and meetings.

Our specialist foster carers need to demonstrate a level of commitment to the scheme and are flexible and committed to training and development, being available for regular supervision sessions and attending regular group supervisions.

To deliver this specialist care, we recognise that some carers may only want to commit to the task of fostering for a couple of years. However it is essential that carers commit to the child and young person in their care for the duration of the placement.

Specialist carers receive a professional salary of between GBP 28k-GBP 30k per annum plus generous allowances and four weeks per year annual leave.

To apply for this vacancy please go to this website www.stockport.gov.uk/fostering and click on “how to apply” or email familyplacement@stockport.gov.uk or phone 0161 474 3400.

No need to send a CV as we will discuss this career opportunity with you during an informal discussion with our qualified social workers.