Foster Carer - Pastoral Officer in Bury, Lancashire

Become a Step Forward Foster Carer – A Life-Changing Opportunity for Pastoral Officers

Foster with TACT Fostering and Bury Council

Are you a Pastoral Officer who supports students through their most vulnerable and challenging moments? You already have the emotional intelligence, safeguarding knowledge, and relationship-building skills to make a life-changing difference in a young person’s life.

We are looking for compassionate, supportive individuals like you to become Step Forward Foster Carers — providing a stable, nurturing home to a young person transitioning out of residential care. This is your opportunity to take your school-based experience and create lasting impact in a family environment.

What is Step Forward Fostering?

Step Forward Fostering is a pioneering project that supports young people who have faced trauma, instability, and loss, helping them move from residential care into a safe and loving home.

These young people don’t just need a bed — they need someone like you: a consistent adult who understands behaviour, builds trust, and supports emotional wellbeing.

As a Step Forward Foster Carer, you’ll be part of a professional support network. You’ll never be alone on this journey.

What You’ll Receive:

We understand the responsibility that comes with fostering a young person with complex needs — and we’ll support you every step of the way, both practically and emotionally.

Specialist Support:

• A dedicated Senior Practitioner offering supervision and guidance
• A Family Wellbeing Worker to support both you and the child
• A Hub Carer providing up to 28 days of planned short breaks each year
• 24/7 Out-of-Hours Support
• Access to a network of other Step Forward Carers for peer support
• Ongoing trauma-informed and neurodevelopmental training
• Access to therapeutic and psychological support

Financial Package:

We provide a generous fostering allowance so you can focus on providing a safe, stable home.

• £1,052 per week while a young person is placed with you (around £54,704 a year)
• £408 per week retainer between placements (up to £21,216 a year)
• Additional allowances for birthdays, holidays, and cultural celebrations
• Tax exemptions specifically for foster carers

Is This You?

We are looking for Pastoral Officers who are:

• Passionate about supporting young people beyond the school setting
• Experienced in managing challenging behaviour with empathy and structure
• Emotionally resilient and committed to helping others grow
• Ready to use their pastoral care skills in a family-based environment

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

To Be Eligible, You’ll Need:

• Experience working with children or young people in a school or pastoral setting
• Full-time availability and a spare bedroom
• A willingness to complete our professional training
• The right to work in the UK

Take the next step in your career and become a Step Forward Foster Carer. Your experience as a Pastoral Officer could be the foundation for a truly life-changing role.

Voceer presents this job opportunity for Sanctuary Personnel, a 1000 person sized company who are categorized as a Recruitment Agency.

This position is being managed by Sanctuary Personnel, a reputable recruitment agency known for placing candidates in desirable positions.