Member News: An introduction to foster carer training at Team Fostering

Team Fostering is 100% committed to promoting the professionalism of foster care.

All of our foster carers have access to comprehensive training and learning opportunities which help in ensuring they are able to develop the necessary skills and knowledge needed to provide the best possible outcomes for children and young people. The agency provides innovative training for foster parents, starting from the initial training foster parents require in order to become an approved carer, right through to induction and core training delivered by internal and external training providers who are experts in their field.

Our training team is led by Training Manager Gill Voase, who has been with Team Fostering for 15 years. Gill has extensive knowledge and understanding of the role of a foster parent and of children and young people in care. As a qualified social worker and trainer with experience of working in residential childcare, fostering and probation services, as well as being a trained nurse, Gill delivers a wide range of training across the agency for foster carers and staff. Gill is supported by Training Officer Jill Mitchell, who has a particular interest in helping foster parents understand children with learning difficulties or disabilities. Jill lectured at colleges across the North East before she joined the agency in 2016, and also delivers a range of courses and workshops for carers at the agency.

​"Training resources are exceptional and ensure that foster parents are prepared for their roles. The agency focuses on maintaining a highly skilled workforce of staff and foster carers, both of whom are trained in the theoretical model of practice."
- Ofsted, November 2018

All foster carers are given their own Personal Development Plan (PDP) which is designed to highlight specific training needs and opportunities. PDP’s are updated annually at foster carers' reviews to reflect current and future training requirements and provide an accurate record of all training and professional development.

Over time, foster carer's build their own Training and Learning Portfolio to sit with their PDP. In the portfolio they are expected to collate ongoing evidence of their training and professional development throughout their fostering career. Team Fostering will also tailor a pathway of advanced training opportunities through each Personal Development Plan for foster carers who work within a specialist area of fostering, and for those who wish to progress onto higher level qualifications.

For a full overview of the training programmes delivered at Team Fostering, click here.

“Team Fostering have brokered training from providers who are competent as well as using staff & carer parents who are eloquent and knowledgeable. It was lovely to have the opportunity to do the level 2 (accredited) training in Counselling earlier this year. This gave me the background to understand the different types of counselling that our young person was about to embark on. It was among the most useful training that I have ever done and as it was delivered or a period of time it enabled you to try out aspects of the work in your own circumstances.”
- A Team Fostering foster carer, 2019

If you're interested in learning more about the training Team Fostering provides to new carers, or you're ready to make that first step into fostering, give us a call on 0800 292 2003, leave us an enquiry here, or drop us an email at [email protected] 

Source:
www.teamfostering.co.uk

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