Fostering Family Support Practitioner – Children and Families Service

Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity until 31 March 2028

Are you passionate about helping foster families thrive?

In Hackney, we believe every child deserves a safe, stable, and loving home. Our Fostering Service is dedicated to supporting our incredible foster carers so they can provide the best possible care for Hackney’s care-experienced children and young people.

We are looking for Fostering Family Support Practitioners who are resilient, empathetic, and ready to roll up their sleeves. This isn’t a desk job—you will be in the heart of our community, working directly in foster homes to provide the practical and evidence-based support that keeps families together and stable.

The Role

As a Fostering Family Support Practitioner, you will be bridging the gap between assessment and action. Working under the guidance of a Team Manager or Senior Social Worker, you will:

Deliver Hands-on Support: Use systemic and behavioral approaches to help carers manage complex behaviors and daily parenting challenges.

Be the Voice of the Child: Build genuine rapport with children and young people, ensuring their wishes and feelings are at the centre of every plan.

Collaborate: Work alongside schools, health services, and youth hubs to wrap a network of support around our families and carers.

Assess and Observe: Provide key insights and high-quality reports that contribute to the holistic assessment of a child’s needs and safety.

Be Flexible: Adapt your schedule to meet families when they need you most – whether that’s an early morning routine or an evening check-in.

About You

You are someone who doesn’t just see a ‘case’ – you see a family. You are comfortable working independently, making informed decisions, and staying calm under pressure.

Requirements:

Qualifications: NVQ Level 3 in a child-related discipline, or an equivalent level of demonstrable professional experience and training in a social care, youth work, education, or fostering environment.

Experience: Substantial experience working directly with children and families, ideally within a social care or fostering context.

Skills: A good understanding of child development and the ability to balance risk with protective factors.

Workload Management: Proven ability to multitask and prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment, ensuring that both administrative tasks and direct family interventions are delivered to a high standard.

Communication: Good report-writing skills and the ability to build quick rapport with both children, young people, families and professionals.

Values: A commitment to systemic and trauma-informed practice that is rooted in anti-racism. With an understanding of, and eagerness to advocate against intersectional inequalities to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or identity, receives equitable support and the opportunity to thrive.

An Enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

Why Hackney?

Hackney Children’s Social Care is a place where innovation is encouraged and professional development is a priority. You will join a team that values your clinical insights and provides the supervision you need to grow. We don’t just place children; we build futures. We need practitioners who are as committed to our carers as our carers are to our children.

How to Apply

If you have the resilience, heart, and skill set to support Hackney’s fostering community, we want to hear from you.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Prior to applying for a vacancy for a secondment opportunity, please liaise with your line manager and inform them of your interest in applying for the role.

Closing date for applications: 19 April 2026 (22:59)

Interview date: 06 and 08 May 2026

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk

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