Support and training

We pride ourselves on the outstanding support we offer our foster carers and will make sure that you are fully prepared and supported to fulfil this role. Our foster carers tell us they like the excellent support and training opportunities. Feeling valued and getting support gives them satisfaction and makes them feel like they’re having a really positive impact.

If you're supporting a local child, we'll support you. We know having the right support in place is essential for you to be able to give the best possible support to the young people in your care.

By combining your own life experience with the training and support we offer, you'll feel confident making decisions whilst a child is in your care and be able to help them develop into confident, well-rounded young people.

We don't expect prospective foster carers to have any specific qualifications when they come to us. What we are looking for are individuals and couples who are motivated to shape the lives of children for the better.

You will need a willingness to learn about the life experiences of the children and young people you will care for, and how to support them. Foster carer training will build the skills and confidence you need to tackle the challenges of this fulfilling role. We offer a wide range of training courses to help you meet the wide range of needs of the children you may care for.

Pre and post-approval training for foster carers is provided completely free of charge and delivered in flexible ways to suit you.

Pre-approval training

When you start your fostering journey, you will be invited to attend Skills to Foster training which will provide a solid starting point for your fostering journey by introducing you to what it's like to be a foster carer. Skills to Foster training is mandatory for all prospective foster carers if they have not fostered before. If you decide to apply, you will complete it during the foster care approval process.

You'll learn about issues and challenges that might arise and ways to resolve them. You'll also learn about the experiences of children and young people who often come into care due to abuse or neglect. You will also learn how to help and support them.

Training will go into greater depth about the realities of the role, so you can begin to picture how fostering might fit into your life, and the types of foster care you'd like to be involved with. You’ll be able to ask questions and learn about how fostering works and the support and training we offer.

Skills to Foster Training is also a chance for fostering assessors to check on your understanding of the needs of looked after children and how to meet them. You’ll also have the opportunity to build friendships with others new to fostering and extend your fostering network.

The Skills to Foster Training course runs over a series of sessions. Training is held virtually, to make it accessible. We want you to be able to get as much as possible out of the course.

Post-approval support

Once you’re an approved foster carer you’ll be able to access a range of support including:

• your own social worker – there to support you and offer advice and guidance
• out of hours support service for when you need urgent help in your fostering role
• access to our ‘buddy’ scheme – we’ll match you up with an experienced foster carer
• ongoing bespoke training for your role
• opportunity for career progression and recognised qualifications
• paid respite – time off where another foster carer can take care of your children to give you a break
• access to support groups, including:
  • carers for babies
  • carers for older children
  • black foster carers
  • carers for children moving on
  • carers for children with a disability
  • carers from the LGBTQIA community
• access to wider support networks including local foster carer associations, The Fostering Network and Fostertalk
• access to additional therapeutic support
• activity days and celebration events

Support for your development

Foster care training doesn't end once you've become an approved foster carer. Topics for training can vary depending on demand across locations, but could include subjects such as:

• safe care
• life story work
• first aid
• safeguarding
• therapeutic care
• equality and diversity
• identity

To help you develop, there are also opportunities to complete additional training to enable you to offer specialist types of fostering such as Parent and Child placements. 

Training is offered face to face and virtually, at a variety of days, times and locations.  It can be a great chance to meet other foster carers as well as expanding your own knowledge and resilience.