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Ready for a Change? Use Your Skills to Transform a Child’s LifeSpecialist 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-employedIs it Time to Use Your Safeguarding Officer Skills 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 Safeguarding Officer, ensuring the protection and welfare of children, identifying risks, and implementing safeguarding strategies, you already have skills that could change a child’s future. This role is not about providing a bed. It is about offering safety, consistency, 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, independence, and resilience.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<ul>
<li>£62,000 per year plus £1,000 additional allowances for holidays and birthdays</li><li>Up to 28 days respite each year</li><li>Specialist trauma-informed training and ongoing professional development</li><li>Clinical supervision and 24/7 out-of-hours support</li><li>Peer support networks, including access to the Mockingbird Constellation model</li><li>Membership of The Fostering Network</li><li>Be part of a local fostering team that knows and values its carers</li></ul>
Could This Be You?We are looking for individuals or couples who:<ul>
<li>Live in Bedford or the surrounding area</li><li>Can offer a dedicated bedroom for fostering a young person</li><li>Have experience supporting children with safeguarding, child protection, or welfare needs</li><li>Are resilient, nurturing, and open to learning</li><li>Can provide full-time care (at least one person at home if applying as a couple)</li><li>Ideally, you will have no children under 12 living at home. Exceptions may apply depending on the child’s needs.</li></ul>
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 Safeguarding Officer 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.

1 Safeguarding Officer Job