What training is needed to foster in Worcestershire?

Fostering training is a staged programme linked to your assessment, approval and continuing development. It is designed to help you understand the responsibilities involved, demonstrate that you can provide safe care and identify any further learning needed for the children you may foster.

Before approval, prospective foster carers normally complete a preparation course arranged by their fostering service. This is often based on the Skills to Foster framework, although the format and content can vary between providers. It usually explores:

• how fostering differs from caring for a birth child;
• the effects of trauma, loss, neglect and disrupted attachments;
• how children’s behaviour may communicate unmet needs;
• safer caring, boundaries and managing risk in the household;
• the responsibilities of foster carers within the wider care team;
• working with birth families, social workers, schools and other professionals;
• equality, diversity and the importance of identity, culture and relationships; and
• the records, communication and information-sharing expected of foster carers.

Preparation training is also part of the assessment process. Participation helps the fostering service understand how you reflect on information, respond to different situations and work with other people. You can ask questions about the subjects covered, and the assessing social worker can identify areas where you may need more guidance before a recommendation is made about approval.

Training does not replace the wider assessment. The fostering service will also consider your circumstances, household, health, relationships, home environment and ability to meet the needs of children. You do not usually need a childcare qualification before applying, but you do need to engage with the learning and show that you can use it in practice.

Once approved, training continues through an individual development plan. The subjects selected will depend on your experience, the type of fostering you undertake and the needs of children placed with you. Common areas include:

• first aid, health and safety, and safer caring;
• safeguarding and recognising signs of abuse or exploitation;
• supporting children affected by trauma and developmental difficulties;
• positive approaches to behaviour and de-escalating difficult situations;
• online safety and safe use of technology;
• supporting education, health appointments and daily routines;
• contact arrangements with parents and important people in a child’s life;
• record-keeping, confidentiality and reporting concerns; and
• preparing children for independence and transitions.

Some learning is completed as part of induction, while other training is arranged when it is relevant to a particular placement. For example, a child’s health condition, communication needs, cultural background or previous experiences may mean that additional specialist guidance is appropriate before or during the placement.

Foster carers in England are generally expected to work towards the Training, Support and Development Standards for foster carers during their first year of approval. These standards provide a framework for demonstrating knowledge and practical understanding. Evidence may come from training, supervision discussions, written work, observations and day-to-day fostering experience. They are not simply an examination, and your supervising social worker should explain what evidence is required.

Training needs are reviewed as part of supervision and the carer’s regular review process. Further learning may be recommended after a significant incident, when household circumstances change, or when the needs of a child develop. Keeping training records is important because it shows how your skills are being maintained and helps identify useful next steps.

If you are considering fostering in Worcestershire, ask the fostering service for its current pre-approval programme and a typical post-approval training plan. It is also sensible to check whether training is delivered in person, online or through a mixture of methods, which household members are expected to attend, and how the service supports carers to apply the learning in everyday situations.