Meet Jessica Mawdesley, our dedicated Fostering Service Manager at Safehouses Fostering. Since qualifying in 2015, Jessica has advanced from Student Social Worker to Service Manager, gaining frontline experience and leading teams to deliver high-quality care.
Jessica is passionate about supporting fostering families and finds joy in seeing children and young people thrive. She values the strong sense of community at Safehouses, where everyone works together to make a real difference.
What was your first role at Safehouses Fostering?
I qualified in 2015 and worked as a Supervised Social Worker for four years. I left Safehouses in 2019 and came back in 2021.
Have you undertaken any qualifications whilst working for Safehouses Fostering?
I have completed both Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and Practice Educator (Level 1).
Tell us about your career path to date with Safehouses Fostering
I progressed from Student Social Worker, gaining frontline experience, to Supervising Social Worker, where I continued my work supporting children, Foster Carers and families.
I then advanced to Team Manager, leading practice and performance. I am now the Service Manager for Safehouses Fostering, driving strategic service delivery.
What drew you to Safehouses Fostering and what excites you most about our mission?
Working for Safehouses Fostering allows me to provide high-quality care and service to fostering families.
I feel like I am making a real difference and part of a positive community with a shared goal.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love seeing our children and young people make progress, big or small, in the care of their foster family. The team I work with, including Foster Carers, is wonderful, and everyone really cares for one another.
Do you have any stand-out moments that you would like to share?
I enjoy all the events and activities with the children, young people and Foster Carers, including Foster Carer celebration events and the summer activity programmes.
When the Safehouses community comes together, there is a real sense of family and belonging which is incomparable to any other place of work.
Interested in working with Safehouses Fostering?
If you are interested in work for Safehouses Fostering part of the Five Rivers community take a look at our Work With Us page.