Provide Support Work to families of children with disabilities and additional needs

Support Workers provide occasional care and support to children and young people with additional needs according to care and progress plans.

Fostering Together work with families who provide long or short term foster care to children with wide-ranging experiences and additional needs. Some of these families will receive packages of support provided by support workers who may be involved in a number of activities at home or in the community:

Personal Care and Medication Administration,
Educational and Fun activities and outings,
Escort or Supervision at birth family contact
Overnight Babysitting

This essential work helps to ensure the families can continue to provide secure and stable homes to these children, while helping to broaden the child's community. The role is rewarding and varied, and no two days will be the same.

What sorts of needs will the children I work with have?

The children we support at Fostering Together have a wide-ranging needs and levels of ability.

These needs include; learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, epilepsy, physical disabilities, sensory impairments and conditions that need complex or regular medical intervention. Some children may be wheelchair bound and require full support with getting around and personal care, or others might need help and encouragement to get around with mobility aids.

We also support many children who do not have verbal speech, and may use communication aids such as Picture or Symbol Boards, or even use other systems such as Eye-Gaze or blinking. Fostering Together will provide training and support in these Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems for the children you support as well as wider support from our AAC Champion, Laura.

How it works

As a support worker you will be matched to a child or a small number of children in your area. You have flexibility to work to your own availability sessions will be booked in and agreed in advance between you, your supervisor and the family your support. Flexibility is essential as support hours may differ in term time and school holidays.

After each session you will be asked to write-up a concise report of your activities to help contribute to the child’s care plans and progress reviews.

Fostering Together is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young people in our care. Successful candidates will be subject to safe recruitment checks including a Disclosure and Barring Service check, references, identity checks and qualification checks

Must haves...

A friendly and personable personality and a real interest in getting to know the young people you will spend time with. You will have a drive in supporting young people with disabilities to experience all life has to offer!
A full driving licence and access to a car.
Able to navigate our IT system FosterKit with a good standard of written communication.
Some previous experience or transferrable skills supporting, caring or volunteering with people with disabilities or vulnerable people.