Meet our team

With over 750 children in foster care and the need to recruit 30 foster carers in the next year, the biggest strength we have is our team. We are passionate about relationship-based practice and we'd love you to meet our colleagues and find out more.

The Management Team 

Nicola Brangam – Head of Service for Fostering and Adoption

I have had the privilege of working for Lincolnshire Children’s Services for the last 26 years. From 2014 I was the Fostering and Adoption Panel Advisor and have had the opportunity of meeting many new carers at the start of their journey. In 2021 I moved into the position of Fostering Team Manager before becoming the Head of Service in 2025.

I am passionate about Lincolnshire children being provided with nurturing families who can support them. I am very proud of the fostering team, all our dedicated foster carers and their families. I hope that you too will feel part of our fostering community and I look forward to welcoming you into Lincolnshire Fostering Service.

Emily McAllister – Team Manager  (North)

I joined Lincolnshire County Council in 2023 with over 20 years’ experience in children’s social care, 15 of which have been focused on fostering and adoption. I’m passionate about making sure every child has the chance to grow up in a loving and stable family, and I’m especially committed to breaking down barriers for children with disabilities.

Trauma-informed practice is central to my work. I believe understanding a child’s early experiences is key to providing the right support, not just for them, but for the families who care for them. I’m dedicated to supporting foster carers, helping them feel equipped, valued, and emotionally supported throughout their journey.

Dawn ClarkCain – Team Manager (South)

I joined Lincolnshire in 2025, bringing with me over 27 years of experience in children’s social care. I have had the privilege of working alongside local authority foster carers for the duration of my career, and for the last 18 years have worked within the fostering service as a supervising social worker and then as a fostering team manager since 2015.

I am passionate about fostering and have witnessed many times the real difference that foster carers make to the lives of our children in care.  As a fostering team manager, along with my team, I am committed to ensuring our foster carers are supported and celebrated along every step of their fostering journey.

I am looking forward to working with you here in Lincolnshire Fostering Service!

The Recruitment Team

Practice Supervisor

Michelle Sawmynaden

As the Practice Supervisor for Recruitment and Retention within the Lincolnshire Fostering Service, I play a key role in supporting prospective and current foster carers throughout their journey. I oversee the social workers responsible for completing fostering assessments, as well as the team that coordinates and conducts initial visits with applicants.

My role also includes leading our fostering marketing team, working collaboratively to develop and implement effective recruitment strategies. Alongside my team, I contribute to the design and delivery of training for both applicants and approved foster carers, ensuring they feel confident and well-prepared.

In addition, I help plan and organise a variety of events throughout the year, including our summer and winter celebrations and other social gatherings that bring our fostering community together.

My role is diverse and dynamic, and you’re very likely to meet me at some point along your fostering journey!

Recruitment Officer

Shona Finnie

I joined Lincolnshire Fostering Service as the Marketing Assistant in 2023 and progressed to my current role as Marketing and Recruitment Officer in 2025.

My role involves not only promoting fostering opportunities but also celebrating and sharing the inspiring stories of our local foster carers within our communities.

You’ll often find me at recruitment events across the county or behind the microphone interviewing carers for our podcast, Foster Pod.

Assessing Social Workers 

Assessing social workers play a key role in evaluating and preparing prospective foster carers. Our Assessing Social Workers will be amongst some of the first professionals you will meet.

They will visit your home to complete the home study assessment. They also deliver our preparation to foster course and will be on hand to offer you advise and guidance throughout the assessment process.

Children and Families Officers

Our Children and Families Officers play a vital role in supporting applicants from initial home visits through to supporting children to remain with their former foster carers under staying put arrangements.

The Supervision and Support Team 

Practice Supervisors 

The Supervision and Assessment team is supervised by a team of 5 practice supervisors who have a wide breadth of experience in children’s social care and fostering.

Supervising Social Workers

Once approved as a foster carer, you’ll be supported throughout your fostering journey by one of our dedicated and experienced Supervising Social Workers. Their role is to provide regular supervision, guidance, and encouragement.

They work closely with you to ensure you feel confident, well-informed, and supported in meeting the needs of the children in your care. They also assist with planning for the arrival of a new child, and advocate for you as a carer within the wider professional network.

Most importantly, they are there to listen, guide, and stand alongside you, ensuring that you never feel alone in your fostering role.

Placement Support Workers

Placement Support Workers work alongside both foster carers and young people ages 0-18 with any challenges they may be facing within the home. They also can support birth children with the impact that fostering can have on them.

They use Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and Theraplay to support our young people to develop and maintain relationships and connections with foster carers and peers. 

Not all fostering services/agencies have Placement Support Workers, therefore Lincolnshire Fostering Service is incredibly privileged to have 6 across the county to support our carers and children in care.