About us

Foster4 is a sector-leading, pioneering foster carer recruitment service, a collaboration between 8 Local Authorities across Cheshire & Merseyside. The service was initially created across 4 Local Authorities with the aim of recruiting, retaining and supporting more Local Authority foster carers. Having secured DFE funding we are now expanding our services.

By pooling resources and expertise, we have been able to significantly streamline the customer journey pipeline, strengthen the support offer to carers and become more commercially visible across the region. As a result, enquiries into fostering with us increased by over 40% in the first year.

Ultimately, by making the Local Authority the number one service of choice for anyone considering fostering in Cheshire & Merseyside, Foster4 is vital in ensuring that, where appropriate, local children and young people have the best possible chances of being cared for by local people, in their own local area. This can contribute significantly to children and young people having stable, happy childhoods, early permanence and positive futures.

We are ambitious to continue to develop a sector-leading service, further increasing our placement capacity, quality and stability.

It’s an exciting time to join our service and help us to continue to expand and redesign our training offer across the Foster4 footprint. This will ensure that our Foster Carers receive high quality training to enable them to meet the needs of the children they care for.

Foster4 is well-established and wider development work is progressing rapidly. A robust governance structure and work streams, made up of representatives from across the region, are driving this work forward to create an even better experience of foster care for children, young people and foster carers.

The role

The Foster4 Board are now looking for an exceptional, experienced trainer with the ability to develop and deliver a new training system across our 8 local authorities.

In the role you will take a lead on the development and delivery of the annual training programme and the development of the E Learning offer across Foster4

The role will be based in Warrington, with regular travel across the region.

The successful candidate will need to be competent in IT and designing / delivering training. Ideally they should also have knowledge and/ or experience in the Fostering Sector. They should have excellent communication and presentation skills and be able to present to a professionals and members of the public.

Collaboration will be key to the role, and an ability to build professional relationship across the social care and training workforce in all three local authorities who form Foster4.

You will need to be able to respond to the changing priorities of children and young people, carers, the fostering services, Foster4, the Council and external customers ensuring that training is relevant and in line with the fostering regulations and service requirements.

What's needed?

The candidate should also have the following qualifications / experience:

Minimum Level 3 Award in Education & Training qualification, or equivalent.

Experience of working in similar training/administrative role

Appropriate Assessment and Verification qualification or willingness to work towards qualification.

Extensive knowledge and understanding of team dynamics, learning styles and development options including the use of ICT.

Benefits

As well as a competitive salary, working for us means you get:

• 26 days annual holiday - raising to 31 after 5 years of service (pro-rata)
• Access to our attractive and competitive benefits package
• Access to our Health & Wellbeing Programme
• Flexible working

Key Dates & Further Information

For an informal chat please contact - Sharon Cooper, Assistant Director / Strategic Lead for Children in Care & Care Leavers - sharon.cooper@warrington.gov.uk 

DBS clearance is required.

Warrington Borough Council is a Disability Confident employer