What training do kinship carers need?

The training kinship carers need depends mainly on the legal arrangement and the child’s circumstances. Kinship foster carers approved by a local authority or fostering service will normally complete preparation training and ongoing learning as part of approval. Relatives caring under a child arrangements order, special guardianship order or an informal family arrangement may not have the same formal training requirement, but should still receive advice and practical preparation before, or soon after, the child moves in.

Training for kinship foster carers

Where a local authority places a looked-after child with a relative or friend, the carer is usually assessed and approved as a foster carer. This means completing the fostering service’s preparation programme, contributing to the assessment process and meeting the learning requirements set by the service. Training may be delivered in a group, online, through individual sessions or using a combination of methods.

The preparation normally helps carers understand what fostering involves in practice, including working with social workers, attending meetings, contributing to plans and providing information about the child’s progress. It should also explain the expectations around professional conduct, confidentiality, safer care and cooperation with the child’s wider network.

Training for other kinship arrangements

Carers with a special guardianship order or child arrangements order are not generally approved foster carers, so there is no single national course that every person must complete. However, their responsibilities can still be substantial. Useful preparation may cover:

• the practical effect of the court order and the decisions the carer can make;
• how to respond when family relationships become strained;
• the child’s developmental, emotional, educational and health needs;
• how to maintain appropriate family connections and communicate with parents;
• how to seek services, record concerns and request a review of support; and
• how to protect the carer’s own health, relationships and ability to provide consistent care.

For an informal arrangement, training may be arranged through children’s services, a family support service, a school, a health professional or a specialist kinship organisation. The level of preparation should reflect the child’s age, history, needs and the amount of change involved in moving into the carer’s home.

What preparation may involve

Good kinship care preparation is practical rather than purely theoretical. A carer may be asked to consider how they will manage routines, respond to difficult situations, support the child’s identity and keep appropriate boundaries within the family. It can also include exercises based on realistic situations, discussions with experienced carers and information about the professionals involved in the child’s plan.

Carers should be able to ask questions about matters that are specific to their household. These might include other children in the home, work commitments, accommodation, transport, language, culture, religion or the effect of the arrangement on existing family relationships. Training should not be treated as a test of whether someone is a perfect carer. It is an opportunity to identify preparation needs and agree what support will be available.

Learning after the child moves in

Kinship carers often need further guidance once they understand the child’s day-to-day needs. A local authority or support service may offer follow-up sessions, advice from a social worker, peer groups or specialist courses. Learning should be reviewed when circumstances change, for example if the child’s needs develop, contact arrangements alter, a new assessment is completed or the child moves to a different stage of education.

Approved kinship foster carers may have an individual development plan or equivalent record showing which learning has been completed and what remains relevant. They should keep evidence of attendance and discuss any gaps with their supervising social worker. Carers under other legal arrangements can also keep a simple record of advice, courses and professional recommendations, particularly where this helps demonstrate that the child’s needs are being considered.

How to find out what is required

• Confirm the proposed or current legal arrangement with the child’s social worker, local authority or legal adviser.
• Ask which preparation course or induction is expected and whether it must be completed before the child moves in.
• Request an assessment of any additional learning needs linked to the child’s age, health, communication, identity or previous experiences.
• Find out who will provide advice after the initial training and how to raise a concern or request further help.
• Review the training plan regularly rather than assuming that completing an introductory course covers every future situation.

Training is an important part of preparation, but it is only one element of kinship carer support. The assessment, the child’s plan and the advice available from the responsible local authority should together identify what the carer needs to understand and when further learning is appropriate.