Job Description

Carer Support Worker – Specialist Fostering Team | 10631 | Permanent Contract | 37 hours per week | £29,064 to £31,022 per annum | Grade F | County Hall, Norwich with travel Countywide

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join our brand‑new Specialist Fostering Team at a time of significant investment and ambition within Norfolk’s Fostering Service. We have secured substantial funding to strengthen our practical and therapeutic support for children and their foster families and are now looking to appoint two Carer Support Workers to help shape this innovative team from the outset.

The Specialist Fostering Team plays a key role in supporting foster carers with a wide range of experience and skills, including those caring for children who need enhanced and specialist support. As a Carer Support Worker, you will build strong, trusting relationships with carers, offering practical, day‑to‑day support that helps them feel confident, valued and well supported in their role.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside Supervising Social Workers, an Occupational Therapy Assistant Practitioner and a Mockingbird Liaison Officer, you will contribute to a proactive, relationship‑based and trauma‑informed approach. Your role will focus on ensuring that practical support is responsive to the individual needs of each child and their foster family, helping to strengthen stability and reduce pressure at times of need.

A core part of the role will be providing hands‑on support to foster carers and contributing to wider support networks and community activity. This will include:

• Providing regular, practical support to foster carers, including visits, responsive support during periods of increased need, and helping carers to access wider services
• Completing key regulatory and compliance tasks such as health and safety assessments, pet assessments and DBS‑related activity, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Supporting the development and delivery of peer support opportunities, including Community of Practice Hubs, network groups and online forums
• Helping to strengthen foster carer networks, reduce isolation and build confidence through connection and shared learning
• Working closely with colleagues across the team and wider service to ensure coordinated and timely support, sharing observations and escalating concerns appropriately

Through your work, you will play a vital role in promoting foster carer wellbeing, strengthening resilience and supporting children to remain settled and thrive within their foster families.

This role offers a genuine opportunity to contribute to a developing service, influence how practical support is delivered and be part of an ambitious programme of change. You will work closely with colleagues across Children’s Services and partner agencies, contributing to our shared ambition for children to flourish within their foster families.

Before you apply, we recommend reading the full and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria.

If you have any queries about these posts, please contact Laura Barnard, Specialist Fostering Team Manager on laura.barnard@norfolk.gov.uk or Amy Sibun, Head of Fostering, Adoption and Kinship Services on amy.sibun@norfolk.gov.uk

These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council:

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service
• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working – dependant on your job role and business need.
• Financial benefits such as:
  • ‘Norfolk Rewards’ our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out.
  • A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers
  • Relocation expenses (where applicable)
  • An advance of your expenses if you travel for work
  • Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants’ pensions.

  • Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikes

  • Access to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)

  • A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job

You can also find information on our Terms and Conditions here.

Already a Norfolk County Council employee? See and apply for internal and external vacancies in myOracle using your @norfolk.gov.uk or @nccal.ac.uk email.

We would like to make you aware that priority consideration for this post may be given to current employees who are at risk due to restructure within the organisation or are in a redeployment position.

Redeployment closing date: 04 June 2026 at 23:55

All other applicants closing date: 11 June 2026 at 23:55