What training must I complete before foster care approval?
Before foster care approval, you must complete pre-approval fostering preparation training, often called Skills to Foster, as part of your assessment. It covers essential areas such as safeguarding, safer caring, attachment, children’s development and managing behaviour, helping you understand the responsibilities of fostering before a decision is made.
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The required training before approval is pre-approval fostering preparation, usually known as Skills to Foster. It is a formal part of the assessment process, rather than an optional course or a qualification you must already hold. Your fostering service will explain its own arrangements, including the course format, attendance requirements and any additional learning identified during your assessment.
You do not normally need a childcare qualification, teaching qualification or previous fostering experience before starting the process. The purpose of the preparation course is to help you examine whether fostering is right for you and to give you a practical understanding of what the role involves. It also gives the assessing social worker an opportunity to discuss your suitability, answer questions and identify areas where further support or development may be useful.
As well as learning about the needs of children in foster care, the training usually considers the effect fostering can have on your household. You may discuss:
- how fostering may affect your relationships, routines, privacy and family life;
- the importance of working with social workers, schools, health professionals, birth families and other members of the professional network;
- how to keep appropriate records and share information safely;
- the importance of boundaries, confidentiality and professional conduct;
- how to respond to difficult situations and seek advice appropriately;
- the role of supervision, reviews and continuing development after approval; and
- how your own experiences, beliefs and assumptions may influence the care you provide.
Training is generally delivered before your application is presented for a final approval decision. Attendance alone does not guarantee approval. The fostering service must consider the full assessment evidence, including your circumstances, health, household, references, checks, practical arrangements and ability to meet the needs of children who may be placed with you. Your engagement with preparation training is one part of that wider decision-making process.
You should take an active part rather than treating the course as a formality. Ask questions about situations you are unsure about and be open about any concerns, limitations or support you may need. If the training highlights an issue that requires further consideration, this does not automatically mean that you cannot foster. It may lead to more discussion, additional evidence, or a recommendation for further preparation before a decision is made.
Everyone in the household who will be significantly affected by fostering should understand the commitment involved. Depending on the fostering service and your circumstances, other household members may be asked to contribute to discussions or complete relevant preparation. The assessing team will clarify who needs to attend and how their views will be considered.
There is not one universal training timetable that applies identically to every applicant. The length, delivery method and follow-up arrangements can vary between fostering services and according to the type of fostering being considered. Applicants with previous experience may still need to complete the agency’s preparation process, although the assessing team can take relevant knowledge and experience into account when identifying further training needs.
Approval is not the end of your learning. Foster carers are expected to continue developing their skills through ongoing training, supervision and review. Further learning may be recommended because of a child’s individual needs, a change in your fostering role, new safeguarding guidance or issues identified in practice. Your fostering service should explain how this continuing development is managed after approval.
If you are considering fostering through a service in the West Midlands, local teams supporting applicants across Birmingham, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and the surrounding region can explain the preparation process and what will be expected from you and your household.
If you have a disability, learning difficulty, communication need or require information in another format, tell the fostering service before the preparation course begins. Discussing this early may allow the team to consider reasonable adjustments, such as accessible materials, additional explanation, breaks or language support where appropriate.
These arrangements are intended to help you take part properly and demonstrate your understanding of the subjects covered. They do not remove the need to complete the required preparation or engage with the assessment. If a particular part of the course is difficult, raise it with the trainer or assessing social worker rather than allowing it to affect your participation without explanation.
Discuss your pre-approval fostering training
Speak to our fostering team to discuss your circumstances, ask any questions about pre-approval training and understand the next step in your fostering application.