Carer Support Therapist, Fostering Support, Care Resources

We are seeking a skilled and compassionate Fostering Family Therapist to join our Fostering and Kinship Service. The post holder will play a central role in supporting foster carers, children and young people to experience stable, trauma-informed and relationship-based care. Working systemically, the therapist will strengthen placement stability, build carers’ therapeutic capacity and promote emotional wellbeing for children in care.

The ideal candidate is a qualified and registered therapeutic professional with significant experience supporting children and families impacted by developmental trauma and attachment difficulties. They bring strong expertise in trauma-informed, relational and systemic practice, and are skilled at working collaboratively within multi-agency networks. The candidate is confident in providing consultation, direct therapeutic work, training and reflective support to foster carers, helping them develop therapeutic parenting approaches and maintain stable placements. They communicate effectively, build trusting relationships, and demonstrate a clear commitment to child-centred, inclusive and value-led practice, with the ability to contribute thoughtfully to care planning, placement stability and service development.

• Provide regular clinical consultations and reflective support to foster and kinship carers.
• Support carers to embed therapeutic parenting approaches such as PACE, attachment-based and Dyadic Developmental Practice models.
• Model therapeutic responses, co-regulation strategies and trauma-informed care.
• Deliver direct therapeutic interventions with children and young people where appropriate, including play, creative and CBT-informed approaches.
• Support children to develop emotional regulation, trust, identity, self-esteem and positive relationships.
• Contribute clinical insight to placement matching, care planning and placement stability discussions.
• Work collaboratively with social workers, supervising social workers, CAMHS, schools, health professionals and other partners.
• Provide crisis support to placements under strain and contribute to stability and safeguarding meetings.
• Design and deliver training for foster and kinship carers and staff on trauma, attachment, behaviour and mental health.
• Facilitate reflective practice and support groups for foster and kinship carers.
• Support service development, including contributing to policies, procedures, evaluations and evidence-based practice.

About You

You will be a suitably qualified and professionally registered therapeutic practitioner with substantial experience supporting children and families affected by developmental trauma and attachment difficulties. You will have a strong grounding in trauma-informed practice, relational and systemic approaches, and be confident working within complex, multi-agency environments to inform care planning and placement stability. You will bring the ability to deliver training, consultation and reflective practice to foster and kinship carers and professionals, alongside excellent communication, organisational and relationship-building skills. You will also demonstrate a clear commitment to equality, diversity and child-centred practice, ensuring the needs and wellbeing of children remain central to all aspects of your work.

What’s in it for you

• Be part of a supportive and passionate team.
• Make a real impact in the lives of children, families and foster and kinship carers.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• Flexible working arrangements available.
• Generous leave entitlement.
• Local Government Pension scheme.
• Flexible working and family-friendly policies.
• Season ticket and bicycle loans.
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships.
• Supportive staff networks.

Essential Criteria

• A recognised professional qualification in psychology, psychotherapy, social work, counselling, or a related therapeutic discipline.
• The job is subject to a DBS check (Basic/Enhanced).

Location

The job is primarily based in Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU. The role requires a hybrid approach with time spent in the office and from home. The nearest train stations are within 3-5 minutes walk from the office, and the train journey from London Bridge is approximately 15 minutes. Various bus routes also stop close to the office.

Diversity and Inclusion

Lewisham Council is an equal opportunity employer and a Disability Confident employer. We welcome applications from all individuals, including those with disabilities and those who require reasonable adjustments. We are committed to valuing diversity and providing a supportive working environment for all staff.