The approval process to be a foster carer can be lengthy. It needs to be to ensure the right people are undertaking this demanding but highly rewarding role.
Whatever your experience of training in the past, too much or too little can both be equally off-putting and so we wanted to share this post to make it clear exactly what training you do as a foster carer at each step of your journey.
pre-approval
It may seem weird to have to complete training before you even get approved but it is statutory to complete the following course, which helps you fully understand fostering and what is expected from you:
The Skills to foster course – this course helps you gain a better understanding of what the foster carer does. Sessions include: what foster carers do, who are the children and yp, working together, safer caring, understanding behaviour, moving on, sons daughters, what’s fostering going to mean for me, transitions moving in moving out, what does that look like for a whole family.
This course is a 7-part training course. We try to run it over two days and we are as flexible as we can with prospective carers on what days would work. Could be delivered 1-1 or in a group setting.
The feedback from the trainer goes in your form f and is explored further with your assessor. Carers find it informative and we use a film as part of the training, which always get positive feedback as it is powerful.
At asphaleia we also want prospective fostering families to do safeguarding training and safer caring, this includes any adult living in the house over 18 (if possible). For younger children, while their parents are doing the form f we provide them with a workbook to help their understanding.
post-approval
Once approved, we will put a date in the diary for first aid training.
Also, it is a statutory requirement for every foster carer within the first year to complete a workbook called training standards and development (TSD). There are a set amount of sessions in which they are looking for evidence of how they're operating as a foster carer, and their understanding of what they’re doing in their care of the child/ren placed with them.
Carers are supported by their supervising social worker to do that. For example, for the session what is healthy eating they might be asked to write out a week’s menu that they would consider to be healthy eating.
other required training
The other mandatory training that must be completed alongside that includes:
child protection
safe caring
first aid
prevent
CSE
continuous learning
As with most roles, foster caring requires an ongoing journey of learning. Our carer's have PDP’s (Personal Development Plans) completed individually for each carer.
Training is based around each placement, e.g. if the child is soiling we would want the carer to do training around this. Carer's also attend organisational training and events, including asphaleia's annual learning and development week.
asphaleia is a registered fostering agency based in Worthing West Sussex. We are currently recruiting carers from all over Sussex. If you want to find out more about being a carer with asphaleia, click here.