How often must foster carers refresh their training?

Foster carers normally refresh training through a planned programme of reviews, mandatory updates and additional learning linked to their circumstances. The fostering service records completed training, identifies any gaps and agrees what needs to be renewed or developed next.

Refresher requirements are not necessarily the same for every course. Some subjects may need a formal repeat session or reassessment, while others can be updated through an online module, workshop, supervision discussion or reading revised guidance. The service should explain the expected format and whether a particular course has an expiry or renewal date.

Training needs are commonly considered as part of a foster carer’s regular supervision and review process. These discussions may look at:

• training completed since the previous review;
• skills used in day-to-day caring and areas where further confidence is needed;
• changes in the children’s needs or in the carer’s household;
• learning arising from incidents, complaints, allegations or significant events;
• updates to safeguarding guidance, fostering policies or legal requirements; and
• training needed for a new type of placement, such as caring for a child with more complex health, emotional or behavioural needs.

Some learning is relevant to nearly all foster carers. Safeguarding, safer caring, managing behaviour, recording information, equality and diversity, and health and safety may all need periodic updating because expectations and circumstances can change. First-aid knowledge may also require renewal or reassessment in line with the course and the fostering service’s requirements.

Other refreshers are more specific. A carer who begins caring for a baby may need additional learning about infant care, while a placement involving medication, disabilities, trauma, exploitation or therapeutic support may require focused preparation. The same applies when a carer’s household changes, when they take on a different role or when a review identifies a particular development need.

Keeping a training record is an important part of the process. It may show the course title, completion date, learning method, any assessment result and the date by which an update is expected. Carers should keep their own notes and certificates where these are provided, but the fostering service remains responsible for explaining which training is compulsory and monitoring completion.

Missing a refresher does not automatically mean that approval ends, but it should be discussed promptly with the supervising social worker. The service may agree a completion plan, restrict certain placements until the relevant learning is completed, or provide extra support where a skill is needed immediately. The effect depends on the subject, the reason for the delay and the needs of any child in placement.

When comparing fostering services, ask how often training needs are reviewed, which subjects require formal renewal, how updates are delivered and how training is arranged when a child’s needs change. These questions give a clearer picture than looking for one universal timetable, because refresher learning should reflect both the service’s requirements and the children being cared for.