Do previous foster parent training hours count towards a new application?

Previous foster parent training may count towards a new fostering application, but it is not transferred automatically. The fostering service will consider whether the training is relevant to the role, sufficiently current, properly evidenced and equivalent to the preparation it provides for new applicants. It may accept some learning, ask you to complete selected topics again, or require the full preparation programme.

The number of hours completed is only part of the assessment. A service will usually look at:

• the subjects covered and how closely they match its current training programme;
• when the training took place, particularly where guidance, legislation or safeguarding expectations have changed;
• whether the course involved participation, exercises, assessment or supervised learning;
• who delivered the training and whether the provider can verify attendance;
• how the training relates to the type of fostering you are now considering; and
• whether your household circumstances, experience or responsibilities have changed since you last applied.

For example, previous learning about safeguarding, child development, behaviour, safer caring and working with birth families may be relevant to a new assessment. However, the service may still ask you to revisit these areas if its policies have changed or if the course did not cover the subject in enough depth. Training relating to a particular placement type may not fully prepare you for a different type of fostering.

Evidence makes the review more straightforward. If you have it, provide certificates, attendance confirmations, a training record, course dates, the provider’s details and an outline of the learning outcomes. A certificate showing only a course title may not give enough information to confirm equivalence, so a syllabus or written confirmation from the previous provider can also be useful. If records are missing, explain what you remember and give permission for the relevant organisation to confirm the training where possible.

There is no single rule that makes every previous training hour valid for every new application. Each fostering service has its own assessment process and may apply current national requirements, local procedures and its own expectations. This means that training completed for one service does not necessarily meet another service’s requirements, even if the subject and duration appear similar.

Previous training is also different from previous approval as a foster carer. If you have fostered before, your experience can provide useful evidence for the assessment, but you will still need to discuss why you left, what has changed and how your knowledge remains current. The service may also need to understand any recommendations or outstanding development points from your earlier fostering history.

Before deciding what you need to repeat, the assessing team should review your records and explain its decision. It may identify a smaller set of refresher sessions, ask you to complete particular modules, or include additional learning in your preparation plan. Any gaps should be addressed before approval rather than assumed to be covered by the fact that you attended training in the past.

When preparing a new application, gather your training evidence early and be open about all previous applications, approvals and courses. Do not rely on an old certificate alone to decide that no further preparation is needed. A current review protects you, the fostering service and the children you may care for by ensuring that your knowledge matches present expectations.

Our West Midlands team can help you identify the records to gather and explain how previous learning is considered during a new application. The final decision on accepted training rests with the fostering service assessing you, but asking for an early review can clarify what will count and what, if anything, needs to be completed again.