Hull FOstering

About Us

We are so proud of the children and young people of Hull, they are imaginative, inspirational, and wonderful in their own unique ways. It’s our job as adults to make sure our children can remain living in the city they know and love, especially if they are not able to live with their own family.

The children and young people in our care deserve the most nurturing setting possible to enable them to thrive.

So when a child or young person cannot live with their family, it is our responsibility at Hull Fostering to find foster carers and supported lodgings providers who live in or within 30 miles of Hull who can provide a safe and supporting home for these children and young people to live.

Hull Fostering is the largest fostering service in the local area and are responsible for all children in Hull.

What it’s like to work for us?

Our carers are amazing, we have a diverse community from a wide range of different backgrounds, lifestyles, relationship status’s and professions. All we ask from you is you have a big heart, willing to expand your skills and knowledge and take the greatest care of our children.

Fostering and Supported Lodging Providers is a professional career, and we recognise this by offering you the most comprehensive training, even before you are matched with a child or young person. You will be taught by the very best facilitators in Safeguarding, Health, Safety and Welfare of a Child, Attachment, Trauma and Therapeutic Approaches, Child Development and First Aid to name a few.

We believe by passing on our knowledge and professional experience to you, through training and continuous support you will be able to make an even bigger difference to children in your care.

Approved carers are allocated a dedicated fostering social worker and given access to many different types of fostering support. If you or your foster child or children need a break, there can be respite care available in certain circumstances. You can access practical or specialised support through us. This could be extra help from education or medical specialists or time with sessional workers who work with a child on a one-to-one basis.

If you decide to Foster for Hull, you will have a dedicated fostering social worker, who will offer you guidance and support through your fostering placements.

You will have:

24-hour support 365 days a year and have a team covering out of hours support for emergencies.

We will offer you a mentor, who is an experienced foster carer and has been in the same situation as you, to help guide and support you.

You will be invited to attend any of the six fostering support groups which run monthly and is a place you can meet other foster carers within your local area, who become another friendly and experienced support network.

You will be offered to join one of our Mockingbird constellations.

It is important we also support your own children, and thank them for sharing you. A specialist support group for the children of foster carers is a great place for your children to share their experiences and enjoy activities together.

We also cover your Fostering Network Membership, which gives you access to -

- independent fostering advice
- additional support
- legal and financial advisors
- additional training
- research publications
- practical support helplines


Hull Fostering carers and social workers work here because we genuinely want the very best for our children in care. Throughout the year Hull Fostering plan parties, events, ceremonies and trips out for the whole family as well as activities for all children in fostering families. These are organised throughout the year and are great fun.

You can purchase a leisure pass which allows your whole household free or heavily discounted access to leisure services across Hull and the East Riding.

If you or your foster child or children need a break, there can be respite care available in certain circumstances.

You can access practical or specialised support through us. This could be extra help from education or medical specialists or time with sessional workers who work with a child on a one-to-one basis.

The type of jobs we recruit for?

We offer six different types of fostering to suit your home, your family dynamics and life commitments.

MAINSTREAM FOSTERING
Some children and young people may need to stay with you for a little while until they can return to their parents or are adopted.

Other children need a stable long-term home where you will support them into adulthood. This is called mainstream fostering.

RESPITE CARE
A child might need to stay with respite carers if their main carer is poorly, has a commitment where the child or young person cannot attend or another reason.

Respite carers provide a break for mainstream carers by offering the child or young person short periods of time in their home. Respite care is good if you have little flexibility with work commitments, but you still would like to help.

SUPPORT CARE
Support carers work closely with a child and their family in their home, offering extra support to them if they are struggling. As you will be a fully trained professional foster carer if required you can have the child stay with you in an emergency or to provide the child pre-arranged care for short periods of time.

SUPPORTED LODGINGS
Most young people are not ready to move on to independent living at the age of 16. Our 'Supported Lodgings providers' provide a home and support for these young people aged 16-21 with the view to helping them make that big step towards independent living.

SPECIAL NEEDS OR DISABILITY FOSTERING
Some of our children have a range of medical conditions, physical and developmental disabilities. As a foster carer for a disabled child, you would be given additional support and training to ensure you feel confident of caring for their needs. Like with all types of fostering, we offer continuous professional support, advice, training, and funding.

P.A.S.T (PARENT AND CHILD)
Parent and Child Assessment placements are unique opportunities allowing a parent and their child to live with you in your home. This is an opportunity for the child and the parent to bond, be shown by you how to safely care and look after their child and provide emotional and practical support to the new parent.

These placements offer the parent a chance to demonstrate their capabilities in caring for their child before a legal decision is made whether the parent and child can continue to live together after the P.A.S.T placement ends.

P.A.S.T placements are often 12 to 14 weeks and is an incredibly rewarding experience for both you and the parent and child.

A career in fostering is a professional role and one we recognise through our financial package.

You will be paid a competitive rate for each child in your care, an additional weekly skill payment given based on your experience and continuous learning development, a £500 annual bonus, mileage, babysitting and setting up costs.

You will be given additional allowances for providing experiences for the children in your care to go on holiday, cover Birthday and Christmas presents. Your whole family will receive heavily reduced leisure membership passes, Max card, special discounts and local benefits. We also pay your annual Fostering Network membership.

Hull Foster Carers are paid a weekly allowance to cover the cost of looking after a child in your home.

The amount paid depends on the age of the child placed and is to cover the cost of the looking after the child.

For example:
A foster carer caring for two children aged 11 years-old and 5 years-old with level three skills would typically receive an allowance of £2597.00 every four weeks.

The carer would also be awarded a £500 annual loyalty payment and have the relevant mileage and your family leisure passes covered. We will also pay towards babysitting costs each month.

Additional allowances are available for extra costs such as; setting up your home for foster children, extra payments for holidays, birthdays, festivals (for example purchasing presents for the child at Christmas).

Benefits

Flexible schedule
Work from home
Casual dress
Company events
Gym membership
Childcare
Employee discount
Store discounts
Additional leave
Referral programme