Is foster carer training required before approval?

Pre-approval foster carer training is not usually a separate qualification that you must hold before making an enquiry. It is preparation provided during the fostering assessment, with the content and format arranged by the fostering service. Completing it forms part of demonstrating that you understand the role and can consider whether fostering is right for your household.

The training normally helps prospective carers examine the practical and emotional responsibilities involved in fostering. It may cover caring for children who have experienced trauma or loss, safeguarding, managing behaviour, working with birth families and professionals, confidentiality, safer caring and promoting a child’s identity and development. You should have opportunities to ask questions and relate the learning to your own circumstances.

Attending a course does not by itself lead to approval. It is considered alongside the wider assessment, which can include:

• background and safeguarding checks;
• health information and relevant medical advice;
• references and discussions about your relationships and support network;
• assessment of your home and household arrangements;
• your reasons for fostering, availability and understanding of the commitment; and
• your ability to meet the needs of children who may require additional care.

The fostering service uses the training and assessment process to identify strengths, clarify any concerns and decide whether further preparation is needed. If you miss sessions, do not complete required work or need more time to understand a particular area, this can affect the progress of your assessment. Your assessing social worker should explain what needs to be completed and how any gaps will be addressed.

Previous childcare experience, relevant employment or professional qualifications may be useful, but they do not normally remove the need to complete the agency’s preparation training. The course gives everyone applying through that service a shared foundation and allows the team to consider how your existing knowledge applies to fostering.

People living in, or closely involved with, your household may also need to take part in some preparation activities. This depends on their age, role and relationship with you. Their understanding and support can be important because fostering affects household routines, privacy and family life.

Approval is not the end of the learning process. Approved foster carers continue with training and development, including induction, learning linked to particular children’s needs and any further training identified through supervision or reviews. This ongoing learning helps carers build on the preparation completed during assessment rather than treating pre-approval training as a one-off requirement.

When you begin the process, ask the fostering service to confirm which sessions are compulsory, who needs to attend, whether any preparation must be completed between sessions and how the training fits with the assessment timetable. That information will give you a clear picture of the steps before a recommendation about approval is made.