"The best job I have ever had" - A Nottingham City Council Foster Carer

It may seem funny that fostering is featured alongside the City Council’s Jobs Online System but for some of our carers it has become a full time career.

Fostering is looking after someone else’s child in your own home at a time his or her family are unable to do so. There are 443 children in Nottingham City who need to be fostered on a short or long term basis.

Our foster carers are ordinary people doing this extraordinary job. We do not have enough carers to give a home to all the children who come into our care. We need more, more - from all sectors of the community – those with different ethnicities, religions, languages and cultural backgrounds.

People who foster may be:

• Living with a partner
• Married
• Single, but not in full time employment
• Working
• Unemployed
• Be disabled
• From all sections of the community

Carers may have children at home or their children may have grown up. All carers are over 21 and many foster until they are well over 60. Carers do need to be fully available to meet the needs of the children in placement. Don’t rule yourself out you may be just the person we are looking for.

Interested? Nottingham City offer first class support including:

• A dedicated social worker for you and your family
• 24 hour support, 365 days a year
• full training and professional qualifications
• local carer support groups

There’s more.To support you in this challenging and demanding role we provide an excellent payment scheme that rewards your ability and professional development – foster carers are paid allowances of up to £328 per week per child and more in exceptional circumstances. However what makes the job so worthwhile for our carers is the satisfaction gained from helping children, in making a difference and in giving them a happier life.

If you can undertake long term foster care of older children or teenagers we are especially interested to hear from you.

To find out more

1. Call the fostering recruitment team on 0115 915 1234
2. Visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/love
3. Or email fa.info@nottinghamcity.gov.uk