All You Need to Know about Training of Foster Carers

Before you become an approved foster carer, you will need formal training. What is this training all about? Where can you start your foster carers’ training? How much does it cost? We will discuss all these questions and many more here. 

As a prerequisite, the UK government expects all foster carers to have formal training on their roles as foster carers. It means that we must provide training to all candidates who would wish to become a approved foster carers.

Often, you’ll hear so much about foster training, most of which won’t be necessarily true. One of the most common misconceptions is that you are likely to fail the training. Let’s face it, there are no grounds for you to fail the training if you are committed to fostering. However, let’s debunk all these myths by explaining all that you need to know about training foster carers.

What is foster carers’ training?
In its basic definition, we define this training as necessary sessions that equip potential foster carers with skills to become better carers of children. Given the fact that they are mandatory, we ensure that they cover all the basic set of skills that you will require.

3 reasons why training foster carers is important
As you can guess, there is a myriad of reasons why this training matters. But let’s narrow them down to three summative reasons why you should take this training seriously.

Gain practical skills

Parenting is not as natural as it sounds. It even becomes more complex if you have to take care of a child with whom you are not related. In this regard, you need practical skills that will help you understand the dynamics of foster care.

During the training, you will get an opportunity to practice caring for children before you start caring for your assigned foster child. This hands-on experience cannot be equated to the theoretical knowledge that you have about caring for young children.

Learn disciplinary consistency

An important aspect of the course that you will find very reflective is the handling of disciplinary issues with a foster child. Psychologically, children appreciate justice though they are usually put in a position where they cannot question injustice done to them consistently.

In this regard, we will train you on how to ensure that you are consistent with your dissemination of discipline to make your foster child understand its importance.

Create positivity 

One of the aims of our training is to bring out positivity in you so that you can illuminate it in your foster child. Most foster children have come from disturbing backgrounds that make them vulnerable. They need positive interactions to compensate for their lost happy moments.

As mentioned, these are summative benefits; many others are implied in training to make you a skilled foster carer and a better human being.

The course structure and duration 

I’m sure you are eager to know the course structure and the duration.

Course structure:

To provide quality training, we cover core areas of foster care. Some of the courses that you will undertake include:
Safe care

• Attachment theory
• Health and safety of children ‘
• First aid skills
• Managing children behaviour
• Living with sexually abused children
• Managing good communication
• Providing a safe environment for vulnerable children
• Social care and protection of foster children

This is just a glimpse of what you can expect from our training. Of course, there are many more courses that we offer depending on specific requirements and types of fostering that you want to undertake.

How long does it take?

The induction training is to be completed in one year of becoming an approved foster carer.

Please feel free to contact us if you want to know the exact duration that it will take to finish your course.

Types of foster training 

As we had earlier mentioned, there are different types of foster care training courses. Learn what the different types are here:

Pre-approval 

This course is designed to help you understand the basic skills of fostering after you have applied to become a foster carer. It is a prerequisite requirement for all new foster carers to attend this course before they are approved as an approved foster carer.

The structure of this course is formal but has informal interactions with experienced foster carers who share practical knowledge of their journeys as foster carers.

On-going training 

In the UK, you are required to undergo further training after your approval as a foster caregiver. This training is meant to ensure that you understand the Fostering Service Standards, which you will implement in your fostering journey. Varied skills are covered in this course.

Difference between core and specialist courses

In our course structure, we offer personalised training to potential foster carers. We have classified the course offerings as either core or specialist. Core courses are the basic ones that all foster carers must undertake. On the other hand, specialist courses are specific to carers who want to handle special children.

Examples of core courses include First Aid, Safe Care, and Safeguarding among others we’ve mentioned previously. Specialist training opportunities include Internet Safety, Domestic Abuse, Parent and Child and Adolescent Task among others. Again, you can inquire about our full range of core and specialist courses if you want to start your foster care training.

What should you expect from our training of foster carers?

The expected outcome of any of our training is embedded in our core mission of ensuring we produce competent and knowledgeable foster carers. After finishing our course, you will feel much more confident in handling a foster child.

Apart from the certification that you will get, you will also have an opportunity to interact with experienced foster carers who share their experiences.

Getting started

Do you want to become a foster carer in the UK? Your journey should begin with our range of courses offered in our accessible foster training. For more information or clarification about foster care training, please get in touch with us today to get started the right way.