Bury needs foster carers for teenagers

Bury is seeking to recruit foster carers who can offer a safe, nurturing and stable home to teenagers who may have previously experienced severe neglect or trauma.

Bury Fostering Team is looking for carers for young people over the age of 13 who need support in increasing social skills, self maintenance skills and educational competence.

These teenagers need a home with carers who have the knowledge, understanding, skills and resilience to support them unconditionally until they can either return home in the future or are ready to live independently.

Potential applicants must have experience in caring for young people and an understanding of child development.

In addition to developing a young person, applicants must also be capable of committing to personal development of their own skills through ongoing training and learning how to relate these skills to the young person who they will be caring for.

Due to the intensive support required by the young person the carer, or one of the carers if applying as a couple, is required to be available on a full time basis.

Councillor Sharon Briggs, cabinet member for children and families, said: “As with caring for teenagers under any other circumstance, fostering a teenager comes with challenges and mood swings, but it is a very rewarding career.”

She added: “Teenagers need reliable, patient and trustworthy carers who can listen, help them to make sense of their worries and guide them away from bad behaviours and lifestyle choices. Foster parents are the positive role models that these teenagers need to prepare for independent living and realising their ambitions in the future.”

Foster carers looking after a teenager will receive £1,499 per month plus allowances, regular contact from the lead social worker, access to support groups and ongoing training and development.

For more information about fostering with Bury Council visitwww.adoptfosterbury.org.uk or www.youcanfoster.org/bury or call 0800 955 5311.

ENDS

Press release issued: 24 January 2017.