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

To foster in the UK, you must meet all of the following requirements:

* Be 21 years of age or over
* Have a spare, dedicated bedroom in your home
* Have experience supporting children, young people, or vulnerable adults (professionally or personally)
* Be a British citizen or hold Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK

Important - Visa Status

We are unable to accept applications from individuals who hold:

* EU Settled or Pre-Settled Status
* Graduate visas
* Skilled Worker visas
* Student visas
* Health & Care Worker visas
* Spouse Visa
* Any other temporary or time-limited visa

Fostering requires permanent residency status in the UK.

If you do not meet all of the above criteria, please do not apply, as your application will not be progressed

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.