Who we are

Hi, my name is James Owen, and I live here on the Fylde Coast where I was brought up and went to school.  When I left school, like many people, I moved away and lived in both London and Manchester for a while before  making my way back to the Fylde Coast.  I have brought up my family here and the combination of coast and countryside in and around the Blackpool area has been the perfect place for me and my family, and the reason why we love living in this area.

As the Fostering Recruitment Advisor for Excel Fostering, I get the privilege of meeting potential new foster carers, giving them advice and help at the start of their fostering journey.  I also help raise the profile and awareness of fostering with Excel in our community and I am proud to be able to do this in an area I have lived in and enjoyed for many years.

I joined Excel Fostering as a Supervising Social Worker in July 2016, before undertaken the role of Senior Practitioner 2 years later. I am now one of Excel’s three Team Manager’s starting this role in August 2020. I thoroughly enjoy my role within the agency, working with a great team, brilliant foster carers and feel privileged to have the opportunity to see many children flourish in our care.

I have worked in Safeguarding roles since qualifying in 2012, I worked as a social worker at the NSPCC for 4 years undertaken direct with children and families. Throughout my training I gained experience of working within adult mental health teams, children safeguarding teams and within the voluntary sector. I really look forward to working with you.

I’ve been with Excel since June 2014 and prior to joining the team I worked in a local authority Initial Assessment and Child Protection team.

I first heard about Excel Fostering when I was completing my social work degree and I was able to complete my final placement with them, which is what brought me into contact with foster carers and helped me to realise what a valuable role they play.

I was also impressed with how enthusiastic and motivated the team were to support foster carers and the children and young people in placement with them to achieve positive outcomes. After gaining the experience in front line social work, I was looking forward to pursuing a career within a fostering setting.

Since joining the team, I have worked in the role of supervising social worker, senior practitioner, team manager before becoming the registered manager. I have enjoyed supporting and mentoring colleagues to develop within their roles. I really look forward to working with you.