Continue Developing Throughout Your Journey
We believe that high-quality training and support play an important role in helping foster carers develop the confidence, knowledge and skills they need. Fostering can bring many different experiences, and every child or young person will have their own circumstances, personality and needs. Good preparation and continued learning can help carers feel equipped for the different situations they may encounter.
An Opportunity For Everyone
Our comprehensive training programme covers a wide range of areas relevant to fostering and is complemented by access to regular support groups, where carers can share experiences, discuss different aspects of fostering and continue learning alongside others. Training is not simply something that happens at the beginning of the process. As carers gain experience and encounter different situations, their learning and development continues. This helps foster carers build upon their existing strengths, develop new skills and increase their understanding.
Our approach recognises that foster carers themselves come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some people begin their journey with previous professional or personal experience of caring for children, while others may have less direct experience. Training provides an opportunity for every prospective carer to develop a stronger understanding of fostering and the responsibilities associated with the role. All prospective foster carers with Ideal Fostering are provided with three days of Pre-Approval Training prior to assessment. This programme introduces the different aspects of being a foster carer and is designed to help individuals develop the knowledge and skills that can support them in the role.
The training also provides an opportunity to explore fostering in greater depth before progressing further. Prospective carers can begin considering different situations they may experience, think about how fostering could affect their household and develop a clearer understanding of what may be expected of them. Our Pre-Approval Training is one of our most established training programmes and has developed over many years alongside our experience of working with foster carers, children and young people.
Pre-Approval Training
All prospective foster carers with Ideal Fostering are provided with three days of Pre-Approval Training prior to assessment. This programme introduces the different aspects of being a foster carer and is designed to help individuals develop the knowledge and skills that can support them in the role. The training also provides an opportunity to explore fostering in greater depth before progressing further.
Prospective carers can begin considering different situations they may experience, think about how fostering could affect their household and develop a clearer understanding of what may be expected of them. Our Pre-Approval Training is one of our most established training programmes and has developed over many years alongside our experience of working with foster carers, children and young people.
Learning Together
Approval as a foster carer is not the end of your learning. We recognise that knowledge develops through a combination of training, practical experience, reflection and communication with other people involved in fostering.
Our ongoing training programme gives carers opportunities to explore a broad range of subjects and continue developing their skills. This can help carers better understand behaviour, communication, relationships, safeguarding and the different experiences that can influence the needs of children and young people in foster care.
Training can also provide an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences. As your fostering journey develops, subjects covered during earlier training may take on new relevance because you can relate them to situations you have encountered personally.
There is also considerable value in learning alongside other foster carers. Support groups give carers opportunities to meet people who understand many of the realities of fostering and to discuss experiences within an appropriate and supportive environment.
Sharing knowledge and perspectives can help carers consider different approaches and recognise that other fostering households may have encountered similar situations.
At Ideal Fostering, our aim is to make learning and development a continuing part of the fostering experience. From your initial Pre-Approval Training through to ongoing development and support groups, training is there to help you build your knowledge, strengthen your existing abilities and develop new skills as your experience grows.
