Are foster parent training hours formally recorded for your assessment?

Foster parent training is normally documented as part of the assessment, but there is no single national format for recording it. Your fostering service may use attendance registers, an assessment file, an online learning record or a combination of these. The record usually shows not only whether you attended, but also how you engaged with the training and what you understood.

Training records may include:

• the dates and subjects of sessions attended;
• whether you completed required activities, discussions or preparation work;
• your contribution to group exercises and consideration of fostering scenarios;
• any online modules, written tasks or certificates completed;
• feedback from trainers or your assessing social worker; and
• areas where further explanation, practice or training may be useful.

This means the record is not usually just a timesheet. Fostering assessment looks at your ability to apply learning to everyday situations, such as managing behaviour, working with birth families, safeguarding children and responding to the needs of children who have experienced trauma. Your reflections and answers during training can therefore be as relevant as your attendance.

Your assessing social worker will generally use the training record alongside interviews, references, checks and other assessment evidence. It can help them identify strengths, clarify any concerns and decide whether additional preparation would be appropriate before a recommendation is made. The information may also be summarised in the report considered during the approval process.

If you miss part of a session, arrive late or cannot complete a required activity, tell the training provider or assessing social worker. They can explain whether you need to attend the missed section, complete an alternative task or undertake further learning. Keeping your own notes and copies of completion confirmations is sensible, particularly if some learning takes place online or through more than one format.

The precise records kept, the length of time they are retained and who can view them depend on the fostering service’s procedures and data protection requirements. You can ask your assessing social worker how your training is being recorded, whether you have completed each required element and how the information will be used in your assessment. If you believe an attendance entry or completion record is incorrect, raise it promptly so it can be checked against the provider’s records.