Foster Carer Participation Officer – Regional Fostering Hub

Salary: £13,031 \- £13,924 Pro rata

Hours per week: 14\.8

Fixed Term: To 31 March 2027

Interview Date: Friday 02 October 2026

Are you passionate about ensuring people’s voices are heard and used to shape meaningful change? Fostering South West is looking for a Foster Carer Participation Officer to lead engagement with foster carers, children and young people across the region, helping to influence recruitment, retention and service improvement initiatives.

Fostering South West is a Department for Education\-funded regional partnership that supports fostering recruitment and retention across 15 local authorities in the South West. Through targeted marketing, early support for prospective foster carers, and a shared regional approach, the Hub works to increase the number, quality and diversity of fostering placements, helping to ensure more children can grow up in safe, stable and loving homes.

In this rewarding role, you will develop and deliver a dynamic participation programme, creating opportunities for foster carers and young people to share their experiences and inform decision\-making. Working closely with colleagues, local authority partners and participation groups, you will facilitate events, forums and outreach activities, gather valuable feedback, and ensure lived experience is embedded in communications, campaigns and service development. You will also help strengthen relationships with foster carers, promote peer support networks and support the co\-production of innovative recruitment and retention projects.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and collaborative individual with excellent communication and engagement skills, experience of working with stakeholders, and a passion for making a difference. If you can build trusted relationships, translate feedback into action, and champion participation as a driver for positive change, this is an exciting opportunity to help improve the fostering experience for carers, children and young people across the South West.

*Please ensure you have read the eligibility statement before making an application.*

Contact details

Ian Jarman, Team Manager, ian.jarman@wiltshire.gov.uk

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Application criteria

Please download and read the role description and person specification carefully before you apply.

We understand that AI tools can support you in preparing job applications. However, we value authenticity and would encourage you to ensure your submission genuinely reflects your own experiences, skills, and motivations.

Eligibility Statement

This opportunity is open exclusively to employees of, and Foster Carers in, the Local Authorities that form the Fostering South West partnership. Applications will only be accepted from individuals currently represented by one of the following partner authorities:

Bath and North East Somerset Council

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

Bristol City Council

Cornwall Council

Devon County Council

Dorset Council

Gloucestershire County Council

Council of the Isles of Scilly

North Somerset Council

Plymouth City Council

Somerset Council

South Gloucestershire Council

Swindon Borough Council

Torbay Council

Wiltshire Council

Please note that applicants who are not currently represented by one of the above Local Authorities will not be eligible for consideration for this role. This vacancy is being advertised as a partnership opportunity across the Fostering South West member authorities.

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