Foster Carer
Oldham Council
Ref: 1467 Foster Carer Oldham Council Oldham / Tameside / Rochdale / Manchester Permanent Up to £78,000 per annum (depending on skills and experience) Full Time Expires 31/03/2027 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join the Fostering Family in Oldham! We urgently need foster carers for children and young people in Oldham. What is fostering? Fostering is caring for someone else’s child in your home whilst they cannot live with their own family. Children and young people need fostering for all sorts of reasons and for different lengths of time. There are lots of different types of fostering that you can do, including: Emergency Fostering Providing a child with a place to go immediately, no matter what hour of a day or night. Long-Term Fostering Where a child or young person who cannot return home lives with the same foster carers until they reach adulthood and are ready to live independently. Short-Term Fostering Looking after a child or young person for anything from a few days to a couple of years. Respite Fostering Caring for a child or young person on a time limited basis. This can be overnight, a weekend, or a week or two at a time. Stepping Forward to Foster Care Providing a foster home for a child or young person who is currently living in a residential home. Parent and Child Fostering Providing a home for a child and their young parent. Can I foster? Don’t worry, there is no such thing as a typical foster carer. We need a range of carers to meet the diverse needs of all our children. We welcome enquiries from everybody irrespective of ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, marital or employment status or disability. All we ask is that you are: What is important is you as an individual and the personal qualities you possess. We need people who are caring, patient and resilient. A sense of humour helps! Who are the children who need foster care? Children in foster care come from all walks of life and are of all ages, from babies through to teenagers. They are likely to have experienced difficult and sad times in their lives. We need carers for: What support is available? Fostering is one of the most rewarding things that you can do, but we know it can be hard at times, so we offer lots of support so that you are never on your own. This includes: Already a foster carer? There are lots of reasons to consider transferring to Oldham. As an Oldham foster carer, you will get regular placements and foster local children and young people, closer to your home. We also value your skills and experience, so you will receive competitive payments and allowances, plus first-class training and a tailored support package. And don’t worry, the process is quicker and easier than you think. For more information on transferring agencies, call 0300 303 0321 or email fostering@oldham.gov.uk How do I apply? If you are interested in becoming a foster carer with Oldham, we would love to hear from you. Call our friendly team on 0300 303 0321 or visit www.oldham.gov.uk/fostering to find out more.Supporting Documents
↗ Right To Work
Location
Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre, , Oldham, OL1 1HD, United Kingdom
Job ID
1488
Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey
We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.
This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.
You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
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These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future
Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.
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Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach
Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.
To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice.
Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.
This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.
What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?
AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.
We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.
When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.
This means:
A trained hiring manager reads every application
Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job
Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role
All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms
AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.
Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.
Using AI in Your Application
When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team.
We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
We’re looking forward to hearing your story.
How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly
Your application is your chance to show us:
Who you are
What you can bring
The values you hold
Why you want to make a difference
AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.
AI is most helpful when used to:
Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria
Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors
Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something
But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process
Do:
Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement
Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure
Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice
Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience
Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself
Don’t:
Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application
Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have
Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice
