Fostering Sessional Worker

Fostering Sessional Worker

• Salary: £12.25 - £12.45 per hour, depending on qualifications

• Hours: As and when required (Evenings, Weekends, School Holidays)

• Location: Flexible working across East Anglia

Why Break?

At Break we invest in the future of our staff just as we do for the young people in our services. We strive to provide the highest quality of care, so whether you’re just starting your career in children’s social care or are already qualified, you’ll be supported, recognised and rewarded for your essential part in our vital work.

About us:

We are a small, values-led therapeutic fostering agency committed to providing long-term, stable homes for children and young people. Everything we do is grounded in trauma-informed care and built on the principles of DDP and PACE. We work systemically — not just with children, but with their families, foster carers, and wider support networks — to create meaningful, lasting change.

We care deeply about outcomes, relationships, and creating a safe, connected environment for everyone involved in a child’s journey.

About the Wider Organisation:

You’ll be joining an organisation that is deeply rooted in values and relationship-based practice. We support children and young people on the edge of care, in care, and leaving care, walking alongside them for as long as they need us — often into adulthood and beyond. We believe in a lifelong offer of support, not just short-term intervention.

Our values are central to everything we do:

• We are all about relationships – we put connection at the heart of our work.
• We are here when it matters most – we show up, stay present, and offer consistency.
• We are curious about the world around us – we listen deeply, reflect, and seek to understand.
• We challenge to encourage change – we speak up, advocate, and push for better when it’s needed.

These values guide how we work with children, families, carers, professionals — and each other.
 

About the Role:

We are seeking a kind, reliable, and emotionally aware individual to join our fostering service as a Sessional Worker. This role involves providing flexible support to foster carers and children in care – including babysitting, 1:1 time, activities, and days out. It’s an opportunity to offer children safe, enjoyable experiences and nurturing relationships, while helping carers have time to rest and recharge.

You will work with children and young people who may have experienced trauma, separation, and loss. A trauma-informed approach is central to everything we do — helping to create safe, predictable, and empowering experiences that build trust and connection.

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

• Experience working or volunteering with children, young people, or families.
• An understanding of the impact of trauma, or a willingness to learn and reflect.
• A calm, patient and emotionally aware approach, especially during challenging moments.
• Respect for children’s rights, voice, and identity – including those from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Reliability, punctuality, and ability to maintain clear boundaries.
• Flexibility to work varied hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting children’s wellbeing.
• Enhanced DBS check (or willingness to undergo one).
• Minimum age 18.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting children in foster care, or those with additional or complex needs.
• Qualifications in childcare, education, youth work, or related fields.
• Confidence supporting children who may display distress-related behaviours.
• Driving licence and access to a car (travel expenses reimbursed where appropriate).

What We Offer

• Flexible, rewarding work that fits around your availability.
• The chance to build trusted, meaningful connections with children and families.
• A supportive team who value reflection, learning and emotional safety.
• Training in trauma-informed practice and child development.
• Regular supervision and ongoing opportunities for professional development.

We Welcome You

We are actively committed to inclusion and welcome sessional workers from all backgrounds, especially people with lived experience of care, fostering, or supporting children and families. We value the strength that comes from different perspectives and experiences

In your role, you’ll have access to the following benefits:

• Free, career-enhancing qualifications

• Access to the Blue Light benefits platform enabling you to access discounts across a range of shops, venues and services (your membership fee will be reimbursed)

• Access to multiple Wellbeing initiatives

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• The opportunity to influence Break’s strategy and direction through our Staff Consultation Forum

• And more

Full details of the role, including a job description and person specification can be found within the ‘documents’ section.

If you would like to develop your career and make a real difference in a child or young person’s life, use the ‘apply now’ button to be taken to our application site.

We reserve the right to interview suitable candidates as they apply. This means the role may close at short notice and without prior warning.

Additional Information

People are our biggest asset in our organisation. We recognise that the key to providing the highest quality of care is to ensure we have a diverse workforce using their life experiences to give the children and young people a well-rounded right start in life. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

The first interview will be a Safe Care/ Warner style interview. If successful after the first interview, candidates will then be expected to attend a formal interview.

An enhanced DBS check is required for the role.  This will be funded by Break.

To comply with OFSTED requirements, you will be asked to provide details of your full employment history. 

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the application or recruitment process.  If there are adjustments you would like to request, please contact contactrecruitment@break-charity.org.  We also offer reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

To comply with the Immigration Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 and additional amendments, and UKVI requirements, all prospective employees will be asked to supply evidence of eligibility to work in the UK. We will ask to see and take a copy of an appropriate official document as set out in the UKVI guidelines. Do not send anything now, further information will be sent to you should you be invited to interview.

For more information on this job opportunity, please initially email the Recruitment Team via contactrecruitment@break-charity.org

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