Can my employer support time off for foster carer training?

There is no general legal requirement for an employer to provide paid time off for foster carer training. However, an employer may agree to support the training through annual leave, unpaid leave, flexible working, adjusted shifts or another arrangement set out in its workplace policies.

Foster carer training is arranged by the fostering service assessing your application, rather than by your employer. It forms part of the preparation and assessment process, so the sessions may be important to your application even though they are not employment training. Ask the fostering service for the expected timetable as early as possible, including which sessions must be attended in person, whether any are available online and how much travel may be involved.

Check your employment terms and policies. Your contract, staff handbook or intranet may explain how to request:

• annual leave for external commitments;
• unpaid leave or a career break;
• shift swaps or changes to working patterns;
• flexible working arrangements;
• time off in lieu, where this is offered; or
• professional or personal development leave.

These options are not automatically available for foster carer training. Their use will depend on your contract, workplace rules and what your employer can accommodate.

Make a specific request rather than a general enquiry. Give your manager or HR team the dates, likely length of each session, location, travel implications and whether the training is compulsory for your assessment. Explain which dates require complete time away from work and which might only need a later start, earlier finish or temporary change to your hours. A clear proposal makes it easier to assess the effect on staffing and workloads.

You may be able to combine different arrangements. For example, annual leave could cover longer daytime sessions, while a shift change could deal with a shorter evening appointment. If the training timetable changes, agree how much notice your employer expects and tell the fostering service what working restrictions you have before sessions are booked.

Flexible working may be another route. Employees can make a statutory flexible working request, subject to the relevant rules and process. A request might involve altered start and finish times, compressed hours, a change to working days or another temporary or permanent change to your working pattern. This is a request, not an automatic right to have the proposed arrangement accepted, and an employer can refuse it for a valid business reason. Your employer may also offer an informal arrangement that is more suitable for a short training period.

Do not assume that time spent in training will be paid. Pay will depend on whether the time is treated as working time under your contract or workplace policy, or whether you use annual leave, unpaid leave or another agreed arrangement. Confirm this before committing to dates, particularly if the sessions take place during your normal working hours.

Keep the fostering service involved. Tell your assessing social worker or training coordinator about fixed work commitments. They may be able to explain the available training formats and identify dates that are less likely to conflict with work, but they cannot change your employer’s employment terms. You should not miss a required session without first checking how this could affect your preparation or assessment.

If your request is declined, ask whether a different option could work. Possible alternatives include using annual leave for essential dates, attending a different scheduled session, changing shifts with a colleague in line with company policy, or agreeing unpaid time away. Obtain the final arrangement in writing so that you and your manager have the same understanding of the dates, pay and expected return to work.

It is also sensible to consider the longer-term effect of fostering on your working pattern. Training is only one stage of the process; assessment meetings, preparation tasks and later supervision may also need to fit alongside employment. Discuss these practical commitments with the fostering service and your employer separately, and avoid reducing your hours or changing your job until you understand the likely requirements and have an agreed employment arrangement.

If you are unsure whether a proposed arrangement complies with your contract or workplace procedures, speak to HR, a staff representative or an independent employment adviser. Your fostering service can explain the training requirement, while your employer is responsible for deciding what time-off arrangement it can approve.