We are looking for foster carers who live within 60 miles of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Elgin. They will be matched with one of our Foster Care Social Workers in our Edinburgh and Aberdeen offices.

Job purpose

To provide a family home and care to children and young people who cannot be cared for by their birth parents.

Main duties

• The key tasks for a foster carer are wide ranging — they cover the health, educational, cultural and religious needs of the child or young person you care for.
• Also, children and young people usually have a need to maintain contact with members of their family or other significant people and your support for this is very important.
• Often they will have difficult and challenging behaviour and you will be helped to find ways of both managing these challenges and of helping them learn new ways of coping and interacting with adults and their peers.
• You will be asked to prepare reports and attend meetings; and you will need to record a range of information about each child in placement and you will need to know how to keep this information safely and protect the confidentiality of the children and their families.
• You are a vital member of a team and we will offer you support and training to help you fulfil your role and to develop new skills.

Additional considerations

• The information contained in the Placement Agreement form, and other information in relation to the child and his or her family is shared in confidence. Families may have shared private, and at times painful, details of their lives and it is necessary that they feel trust in you. Information must only be shared with relevant parties. You should ensure written information is locked in a secure place.
• Decisions will be made with your foster care social worker and the child’s social worker about what to tell your family, friends and neighbours. Details about the child’s health and family relationships must be handled discreetly.
• Information about parents cannot be shared with the child without the parent’s consent.
• A child or a child’s parents may entrust you with information. You may have to explain that some information is important and must be shared with the child’s social worker. In other words, you must make it clear that you cannot hold all information in confidence.

Teamwork

You will be a key participant in the development of the plan for a child in your care. You are part of the Team that will work together to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child.

The Team can include:

• You – the carer
• The child
• The child’s parents
• Other family members/friends who are important to the child
• The child’s social worker
• Your foster care social worker and other staff of St. Andrew’s Children’s Society
• Other professionals involved in the care and education of the child e.g. Health Visitor, Teacher, GP, School Doctor and Psychologist.

Supervision and support

• Professional consultation and supervision to promote professional growth in your role as a foster carer will be provided by your Foster Care Social Worker and their Manager. You will also be given access to the support of other foster carers who understand the challenges of the fostering task.
• You will also receive free membership to The Fostering Network.

Terms and conditions

You will receive a Foster Carer Handbook that details all your conditions of service and the expectations of you in the foster carer role. You are considered as self-employed for HMRC purposes.

Fostering allowances and fees

Details of the rates paid are issued in April each year to all carers. Payments are made four weekly in advance directly into bank accounts, and carers receive a statement giving details of the payment made.

Carers must ensure that St. Andrew’s Children’s Society is supplied with their full name, address and relevant bank account details to ensure payments are made efficiently.

St. Andrew’s Children’s Society reserves the right to vary or amend the duties and responsibilities of the post holder at any time according to the needs of the Company’s business.