What training does a fostering agency provide before approval?

Pre-approval training is a required part of most fostering applications. It gives prospective carers a structured introduction to the role and allows the agency to consider how they understand and respond to the responsibilities involved before a recommendation is made about approval.

The initial course is often known as Skills to Foster . The exact programme varies between agencies, but it normally combines teaching with practical exercises, group discussion and opportunities to ask questions. Sessions may use case studies, videos, written activities and scenarios based on situations foster carers can encounter. This helps applicants think through how they would respond, rather than simply learn information for a test.

Training commonly explores areas such as:

• the reasons children enter foster care and how moving between homes can affect them;
• the impact of trauma, loss and disrupted relationships on behaviour and development;
• how foster carers work with social workers, birth families, schools, health professionals and other members of the professional network;
• the importance of listening to children and respecting their identity, culture, religion and personal history;
• recording information, sharing concerns and following agency procedures;
• how fostering affects relationships, routines, privacy and responsibilities within the wider household; and
• the boundaries of the foster carer’s role, including decisions that must remain with the child’s social worker or another person with legal responsibility.

Everyone who is applying to foster should take part where the agency requires it. This generally includes both members of a couple, and other household members may also be involved in an age-appropriate way. The agency should explain who needs to attend, how sessions are arranged and whether any reasonable adjustments can be made for disability, health, language or other circumstances.

Attendance alone is not enough. Trainers will normally look at participation, communication, willingness to reflect and the ability to consider a child’s needs from the child’s perspective. There is usually no pass-or-fail examination, but concerns arising during the course may be discussed with the assessing social worker. Applicants should be open about questions or difficulties rather than trying to give answers they think the agency wants to hear.

Training and assessment are connected but they are not the same thing. The assessment considers the applicants’ circumstances, relationships, health, household, experience, home environment and ability to provide safe care. What an applicant says and does during training may help the assessor identify strengths, support needs or areas that need further exploration. The agency may ask applicants to complete additional learning before presenting its recommendation to the fostering panel.

Previous work with children, parenting experience or relevant professional training can be useful, but it does not usually remove the need to complete the agency’s pre-approval programme. The agency should explain whether existing knowledge can be recognised and whether any parts of the learning still need to be completed. Foster carers may also need further training after approval, including preparation for a particular child or placement and ongoing development linked to their role.

Before attending, it is sensible to ask the agency:

• which pre-approval course it uses and what subjects it covers;
• how many sessions are involved and whether attendance is required in person or can be supported in another format;
• who will deliver the training and how it links to the assessment;
• what happens if an applicant misses a session or needs extra help with the material;
• how the agency handles previous fostering or childcare experience; and
• what training will be required after approval.

Completing the course does not guarantee approval. The agency must consider all the information gathered during the assessment and decide whether the applicant can meet the needs of children who may be placed with them. Equally, training is an opportunity to identify questions and make an informed decision about whether fostering is suitable for the household before the application progresses further.