Foster Carer Engagement & Retention Officer
Location: Colindale, London
Pay Rate: 27.28 per hour (Umbrella)
Contract: Agency/Temporary
Hours: Full-time
Are you passionate about supporting foster carers and improving outcomes for children and young people in care? We're recruiting for a Foster Carer Engagement & Retention Officer to join a dedicated fostering service in Colindale, London.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the recruitment, engagement and retention of in-house foster carers while helping to ensure children and young people are matched with safe, stable and nurturing placements.
The Role
As a Foster Carer Engagement & Retention Officer, you will work closely with foster carers, supervising social workers and managers to strengthen foster carer engagement, improve retention and contribute to placement sufficiency. You'll coordinate engagement initiatives, support groups and recognition events, while developing strong relationships with carers to ensure they feel valued and supported throughout their fostering journey.
You'll also help monitor foster carer availability and capacity, contributing to effective placement matching and promoting placement stability for children and young people.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a key point of contact for in-house foster carers, building positive and supportive relationships.
- Coordinate foster carer engagement activities, appreciation events and recognition initiatives.
- Organise and support foster carer support groups in partnership with supervising social workers.
- Design, distribute and analyse surveys and feedback to inform service improvements.
- Monitor foster carer availability, capacity, engagement and support needs.
- Support the development of peer support networks and buddy schemes for new and existing carers.
- Work proactively with supervising social workers and managers to identify carers who may require additional support to improve retention.
- Contribute to recruitment, engagement and retention strategies for in-house foster carers.
- Support effective placement matching to promote stable, positive outcomes for children and young people.
- Maintain accurate records and management information in line with organisational policies and procedures.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will have:
- Experience working within fostering, children's social care or a related service.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Strong organisational and coordination abilities.
- Experience planning events, engagement initiatives or support activities.
- The ability to analyse feedback and use data to support continuous service improvement.
- A collaborative approach to working with foster carers and multi-agency professionals.
- A commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people in care.
Pay & Benefits
- 27.28 per hour (Umbrella).
- Full-time agency opportunity.
- Opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of foster carers and children.
- Supportive team environment.
- Varied role combining engagement, coordination and service development.
- Gain valuable experience within a busy and progressive fostering service.
Essential Requirements
Applicants should have:
- Experience within fostering, children's services or a related field.
- Eligibility to work in the UK.
- Enhanced DBS (or willingness to obtain one).
- Strong organisational, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
If you're passionate about supporting foster carers and helping children and young people achieve safe, stable and successful placements, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today to find out more about this rewarding opportunity in Colindale, London. For more information, contact Natasha Haddon.
