Skills to foster course

As part of the assessment process, all prospective Foster Carers are required to attend 'Skills to Foster' training. The course takes place over three full days and is held on a regular basis throughout the year in each of our regional locations. 'Skills to Foster' is fun and informative. It is an opportunity to meet with other people interested in fostering and to hear from an experienced Foster Carer and Social Worker. It is run in an informal way to ensure that everyone feels at ease. The 'Skills to Foster' course consists of six sessions and covers the following subjects:

What Foster Carers do?

Why are children and young people fostered? How can Foster Carers help the children? How fostering may affect Foster Carers, their family and community?

Identity and Life Chances

What types of experiences have children and young people had? Why is a secure sense of identity important to children and young people? How can Foster Carers help? How may prejudice and unfair discrimination affect the life chances of children and young people? Thinking about diversity and ways of challenging discrimination.

Working with others

When do Foster Carers work with Social Workers, other professionals and birth families? How does the law affect the work of Foster Carers?

Safer Caring

In what ways may children be abused? How can Foster Carers begin to respond to the needs of children and young people who have been abused? What changes will be necessary in a Foster Carer's family life to take account of the demands of foster care?

Understanding children in foster care

Understanding child development and attachment and the ways separation and loss and other experiences affect children in foster care. Understanding and dealing with challenging behaviour and how Foster Carers provide a secure base and build resilience and self-esteem in children who are fostered.

Transitions

Thinking about the way changes affect fostered children and exploring how Foster Carers can help children and young people cope with change.

Further training

Fostering Solutions views training as a vital aspect of the fostering task and provides all its Foster Carers with a free, comprehensive training programme. This contributes to their professional development to ensure they have the necessary skills to offer high quality support to the children placed in their care.
After approval as a foster carer, the opportunity to train continues and all our Foster Carers are expected to complete a number of courses within their first year:

First Aid

Promoting healthy living

increasing awareness of all the elements contributing to a healthy lifestyle for children and young people.

Contact

helping children maintain positive contact with family members and others.

Education

practical advice on supporting the educational needs of children and young people in your care.

Attachment

understanding the significance of children's early life experiences.

Safeguarding 1 + 2

the Foster Carer's role in the safety and well being of the children and young people in their care.

Team Teach

strategies to manage situations that may occur whilst caring for children and young people.