Specialist Therapeutic Foster Carer - Residential Childcare Worker/Practitioner

Ready for a Change? Use Your Skills to Transform a Child's Life

Specialist Therapeutic Foster Carer - Bedford and Surrounding Areas
Location: Bedford and surrounding areas
Salary: £62,000 per year (plus additional allowances)
Employment Type: Full-time | Self-employed

Is it Time to Use Your Residential Childcare Experience Differently?

Every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and part of a family. Right now, young people in Bedford Borough are living in residential care and need someone who can help them take the next step into a stable home where they can heal and thrive.

If you have experience as a Residential Childcare Worker or Practitioner, supporting children with emotional, behavioural, or developmental needs, you already have skills that could change a child's future. This role is not about providing a bed. It is about offering consistency, care, and the belief that life can get better.

As a Specialist Therapeutic Foster Carer, you will welcome a young person into your home and provide full-time care, supported every step of the way by a dedicated local team.

Why Choose Specialist Therapeutic Fostering?

This specialist route is for people who want to make a profound difference. You will work as part of a trauma-informed team, helping children transition out of residential care into a safe family environment where they can build trust, resilience, and independence.

This role offers you the chance to transform a child's life while experiencing something life-changing yourself.

What You Will Receive as a Specialist Therapeutic Foster Carer

* £62,000 per year plus £1,000 additional allowances for holidays and birthdays
* Up to 28 days respite each year
* Specialist trauma-informed training and ongoing professional development
* Clinical supervision and 24/7 out-of-hours support
* Peer support networks, including access to the Mockingbird Constellation model
* Membership of The Fostering Network
* Be part of a local fostering team that knows and values its carers

Could This Be You?

We are looking for individuals or couples who:

* Live in Bedford or the surrounding area
* Can offer a dedicated bedroom for fostering a young person
* Have experience supporting children with emotional, behavioural, or developmental needs in a residential care setting
* Are resilient, nurturing, and open to learning
* Can provide full-time care (at least one person at home if applying as a couple)
* Ideally, you will have no children under 12 living at home. Exceptions may apply depending on the child's needs.

Please note - fostering requires you to register as self-employed. You will be responsible for managing your own tax affairs and maintaining the necessary records related to the role.

Is it Time for a Change?

This is your opportunity to use your Residential Childcare skills in a way that truly matters. You will make a difference to a child, to your community, and to yourself.

Apply now to speak with our team and take the first step toward becoming a Specialist Therapeutic Foster Carer for Bedford Borough.