Foster Carer - South Tyneside Council

Overview

Earn up to £26,416pa looking after 1 child – (£508.00 per week)
Or up to £52,832pa looking after two children – (£1016.00 per week)
(See job description for full salary details and additional benefits)

Foster Carer – South Tyneside Council

Further Information

Children throughout South Tyneside are in need of safe, nurturing homes; and we are seeking highly motivated and dedicated people who can be their new Foster Carers.

Our children come from a wide range of backgrounds, so we need carers who are as individual and diverse as our children are.

We are seeking carers from all cultures, religions and ethnic groups; carers who are single or in couples, and carers of different sexual orientations.

You can be a full-time carer for our children, or you can balance fostering with working outside of the home. We welcome applications from people who have not parented before, and from carers who may already have children or grandchildren.

Our children need homes for lots of different reasons and different lengths of time. They may need a home for one day, one year, or for the rest of their childhood, but no matter how long you care for a child, you will have a lasting impact on the rest of their lives.

Our generous financial payments/allowances help you to provide care for a local child and/or children, whether that be on a short or long-term basis. As a Foster Carer, you will be home based and will have full support from our experienced in-house fostering team, based at Market Place, South Shields.

At South Tyneside Council we offer many types of fostering to suit your lifestyle and commitments. Our friendly and knowledgeable recruitment team will discuss with you how fostering might fit your current commitments and find a type of fostering that is right for you and your circumstances.

Salary details

Foster Carers are paid a weekly allowance depending on the age of the child they are caring for as well as an additional weekly carer payment. Below gives further details:

Fostering child allowances:

Below is a chart which indicates the weekly allowance you would be paid per child based on their age.

• 0-2 years £170.00
• 3-4 years £176.00
• 5-10 years £194.00
• 11-15 year £220.00
• 16-17 years £258.00

Foster Carer Payment:

Most new Foster Carers begin at Level 2 and have the opportunity to progress on to Level 3-4 by completing a training progression programme.

The following weekly amounts are paid for each child in your care:

• Level 2 £250.00
• Level 3 £350.00
• Level 4 £450.00

EXAMPLE:

If you are a new carer looking after two children aged 5 and 11 you would receive the following per week:

• CHILD ALLOWANCE FOR 5 YEAR OLD: £194.00
• CHILD ALLOWANCE FOR 11 YEAR OLD: £220.00
• CARER PAYMENT FOR CHILD 1: £250.00
• CARER PAYMENT FOR CHILD 2: £250.00

TOTAL PAYABLE PER WEEK: £914.00 (£47,528pa)

TAX EXEMPTION INFO:

As a self employed Foster Carer, in your tax return you’ll be able to claim:

• a tax exemption of up to £19,360 per household
• tax relief for every week you foster a child

On top of the £19,360 exemption, you also get tax relief for every week (or part week) that a child is in your care. This means you do not usually pay tax on your earnings from foster care, even if they go over £19,360.

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Further details can be found here: Help and support for foster parents in England: Tax arrangements – GOV.UK

As well as the weekly payments detailed above, we also offer a range of other financial and supportive benefits including:

• Our newly updated fee structure ranging from £250 per child per week up to £450 per child per week
• A Payment For Skills progression programme so carers can develop their skills and increase their earning potential
• Competitive allowances based on the age of the child you care for
• 14 nights paid holiday each year. If the holiday is not used the equivalent payment will be made to Foster Carers
• Annual school uniform payments
• Setting Up payments to help you furnish a room, and buy equipment when you begin your fostering journey
• Mileage paid at 48p per mile, door-to-door, for any journeys linked to the child’s plan; such as school runs, medical appointments and family time sessions
• The Mockingbird Family Model: offering all new carers the chance to join one of our very successful Mockingbird Hubs where they will receive support from fellow carers
• A bespoke training programme both before and after you become a Foster Carer
• Access to Solihull training to help you understand and respond to our children’s needs
• Peer support groups where you can meet other Foster Carers
• Max Cards which offer Foster Carers and children discounted access to family activities
• Free swimming sessions for Foster Carers and the children they foster in South Tyneside leisure centres.
• An annual Foster Carer Celebration event where carers achievements are celebrated and rewarded.
• A specially trained fostering Social Worker to support you throughout your fostering journey
• Social work support on evenings, weekends and bank holidays via our Emergency Duty Team (EDT) service.

To become a Foster Carer

• Be over 21 years of age
• Have a spare bedroom or be willing to have a child under the age of 3 sleep in your bedroom*

*Children under the age of 5 cannot be cared for in a household where there are smokers

Fostering is not only a life choice but can also be an extremely rewarding career choice. This is a great opportunity for you to do something new and make a positive change to children and young people’s lives.

If you are an empathetic person who can listen to children and provide them with a safe, stable, and loving home please get in touch with us on 07744 3250695 or 0191 4238500 or email us at fostering@southtyneside.gov.uk or visit our website campaigns.southtyneside.gov.uk/fostering