The job that will change lives – yours and the children you care for. If you’ve been thinking about how to reset your future and find a new direction, maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at fostering for Sandwell. Do you enjoy working with children and young people? Do you want to make a difference to young people’s lives? Do you want the most rewarding job? Do you thrive on meeting challenges and finding solutions? Do you want to work from home, with the support of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals? Do you have the space in your heart and your home to foster for Sandwell? If you can say yes and can offer a safe, secure home environment to a child or young person then take the first step. Contact us about fostering for Sandwell. It won’t just be your life that changes. So, what do I need to Foster for Sandwell? You can be married, single, or an LGBTQ couple. You don’t need to own your own home, but you do need a spare bedroom. Experience as a parent yourself is not essential, but some experience of looking after children (e.g. nieces/nephews) is desirable. Experience from a health, social services, education or the emergency services background will also be recognised. Whether you are currently working or not, provided you are over 21 (there is no upper age limit), you can apply to join Sandwell’s biggest family. 5 Becoming a Sandwell foster carer The approval process to become a foster carer will include pre-approval training and a professional assessment, plus medical and DBS checks. We are always looking for applicants who are open and flexible about the possibilities of fostering. We work with you to identify the types of fostering that will best suit you and your family. That could be giving a stable family home to a child on a short term or longer-term basis as they grow or working with pre-teenage and secondary school age children. Of course, we welcome applicants who have the capacity to look after sibling groups or who can offer transferable skills relating to the care of children with challenging behaviour. Just like every child is different, every foster carer is different, and we’ll work with you to put your skills and previous experience to the best use. But being a foster carer isn’t easy, and we would never pretend that it is. It can be tough, it can be challenging, but we believe that the more you put in, the more you get out, because with fostering the rewards far outweigh the challenges We are committed to recruiting foster carers from all backgrounds and communities and are offering a comprehensive range of training & support to promote your professional development as a foster carer. With us you will be at the heart of a team dedicated to changing children and young people’s lives and that’s what makes fostering for Sandwell so much more than a job. Foster carers payments vary according to the age(s) and needs of the child/children in your care. But most foster carer payments are tax free, and as a new foster carer you will not pay any income tax on your earnings from fostering, until you reach a senior level. For full details of the fees and payments available to help you get set up to foster with Sandwell, click here https://fostersandwell.co.uk/how-much-can-i-earn-as-a-foster-carer/ or get in touch to talk to us about our fees structure and how it could apply to you. Talk to us about fostering for Sandwell. Call 0800 358 0899 or visit our website at www.fostersandwell.co.uk and click the enquire button to start your fostering journey. Join Sandwell’s biggest family and make a real difference