Recruitment, Retention & Development Social Worker in North Shields

We offer a blend of home and office-based working arrangements, to support a healthy work-life balance for all our staff. This will be a minimum of one day per week working based either at our North Tyneside or Middlesbrough office.

Hours: 18.75 hours per week covering Monday to Sunday

18 month fixed-term

Please note we do not operate a performance related reward system or automatic incremental payments.

Team Fostering is an ethical not for profit fostering agency with a strong reputation and track record for providing high quality fostering placements for looked after children. We pride ourselves on our values and our commitment to making positive changes for children and young people. Our Northeast Service was graded as Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2025.

As a Recruitment, Retention and Development Social Worker for Team Fostering you will play a vital role in supporting us to make those changes happen. Key responsibilities include:

• Working in partnership with the relevant managers to develop, facilitate and review training of prospective foster carers for the Northeast Region.
• Support, development, implementation and delivery of specialised recruitment campaigns.
• Acting as key point of contact for applicants in the process of assessment to become foster carers.
• Offering support, guidance and advice to independent social workers.
• Quality Assurance of Initial Visits and Form F Assessments.
• Identifying, addressing and resolving retention concerns to support the delivery of the Carer Recruitment and Retention Strategy.
• Maintaining oversight of changing trends in foster care recruitment and liaise with the Director of Business Operations to develop strategies that meet need and reflect changing landscape.

We are looking for a passionate individual, with a drive to improve outcomes for children and young people. We would welcome applications from skilled professionals, preferably with experience of working in a social care setting who are able to demonstrate the following:

• A detailed understanding of fostering and associated processes and procedures.
• Ability to develop and deliver training and support learning and service development.
• Resilience to deal with sensitive information concerning children and young people.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, managing tight deadlines and competing priorities while remaining adaptable to changing plans.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for engaging with internal and external colleagues.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Teams with the ability to lead and chair meetings in a professional and engaging manner.
• Excellent negotiation skills to influence decisions and secure the best outcomes for children.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, being supportive, considerate, and available to assist colleagues when needed.
• Self-motivation with proven ability to work independently and maintain productivity in a remote environment.
• Commitment to the ethos and values of Team Fostering, with a genuine passion for making a positive difference in the lives of children and families.
• Open to learning and development, receptive to feedback, and proactive in asking questions and seeking support.

In return we offer an exceptional range of employee benefits including:

• Monthly supervision
• 30 days annual leave plus 8 days bank holidays
• A blend of home and office working
• A wide range of flexible working arrangements to support a good work life balance
• Flexi time
• Staff loyalty bonus
• Employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Life assurance cover
• GP Helpline
• Learning & development opportunities to support your continuous professional development

Team Fostering are wholly committed to our ongoing investment in our staff's professional training and development, health and wellbeing. We are immensely proud of our recognition as a Living Wage Employer, an Investors in People Employer which we have held since 2006, our accreditation as a Mindful Employer and the achievement of our Better Health Award at Continuing Excellence level.

Team Fostering is an equal opportunity and Disability Confident Committed employer that is committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging at work. As we continue to grow, we know that we must have the most talented employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support our children and young people. Team Fostering strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented within the agency.

Please note Team Fostering does not accept CVs. This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

Closing date: 4pm on Friday 15th May 2026

Interviews: Wednesday 3rd June 2026

Location: Hedley Court, North Shields

Please note if you are shortlisted for interview, we will contact you via the email you have provided. Please ensure you check your emails regularly.