Training and Development
Standards and Regulations
Fostering Services National Minimum Standards (England) 2011:
Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care:
As a foster carer you will receive effective training and supervision in respect of the specific and complex needs of children, to ensure you are able to care for them effectively and can offer stability. In Surrey, we reward and encourage foster carers’ continued development through our skill level payments scheme
You will have already completed some basic training and induction by the time you are approved. All mandatory training must be completed by all approved foster carers within a household. The Fostering Training Support and Development Standards have been designed to support carers from pre-approval, through their first year of fostering and beyond. You can find the Surrey Foster Carer Learning and Development Offer in the Local Resources section of this Handbook under the section entitled 'Training, Support and Useful Information > Training'.
The standards set out what Foster Carers should know and be able to do in a clear way. These standards apply to all Foster Carers, including long-term Foster Carers and Family and Friends Carers.
All new Foster Carers are expected to complete the Standards within 12 months of their approval. In recognition of the fact that respite Carers may need more time to gain experience, they have 24 months to complete. Family and friends carers have 18 months to complete their workbook evidencing the standard. If you feel that you cannot complete the workbook within the time scales please discuss this with your Supervising Social Worker.
Two foster carers in the same house can use the same workbook.
Surrey Fostering Service has a strong commitment to providing a variety of training opportunities each year which build on the skills for every foster carer approved by Surrey Fostering Service, including Connected Foster Carers.
The foster carers training pathway has been designed to reflect the core competencies that are set out in the National Minimum Standards for Foster Carers, and to support the completion of the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers.
The training pathway provides a clear outline of essential learning for foster carers career development and enables foster carers to evidence, reflect on and develop their learning and skill base, which will allow them to progress through skills payment levels. It will highlight mandatory courses that carers must do and priority training which will vary depending on different fostering situations and age group approved for.
All training courses need to be discussed with your Supervising Social Worker (SSW) and need to be relevant to each household. During the annual household review carers and SSWs will work together to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to identify mandatory courses that need refreshing, and agree other training useful or relevant for the fostering household. The foster carer will need to provide evidence of learning and how it has impacted on their fostering role. Therefore carers are strongly urged to keep a log of all their learning. This information can then be uploaded onto the OLIVE platform and SSWs will keep the LCS (electronic recording system) training tab up to date. Feedback forms completed at the end of any training course should be emailed to the SSW. The visits from the SSW will allow an opportunity to reflect on learning at regular intervals, help to keep it “live” and discuss how the new learning is being put into practice and is making a difference.
All approved foster carers, are expected to attend regular training (relevant to their fostering situation) throughout the year. This contributes to progressing or maintaining the skills level payment.
Most online or classroom training courses/webinars will attract 1 credit. Longer courses of 4 days and more will attract a maximum of 4 credits.
Carers are able to earn credits from other forms of learning and development opportunities such as attending a support group where a speaker is facilitating a discussion, reading a relevant book or article or watching a relevant documentary etc.
In households with two registered Foster Carers, both carers are expected to engage with all mandatory training (including refresher training) as well as some additional learning and development throughout the year. It is recognised that for many households one carer does more training and takes the primary role with fostering duties.
In order to earn the credits there has to be evidence of learning (key points and how these will change your practice as a foster carer). You can use one of the reflection sheet/learning log provided by the fostering service if this would be helpful.
Level 1
Prior to undertaking any learning all foster carers will be “level 1” carers. This means that no additional “skills” payment is paid, and only the child allowance will be paid to cover the financial needs of the child.
Level 2
In order to progress to the Level 2 skills payment the foster carer is expected to complete 10 training credits. In most situations the fostering household (every approved adult) would have completed the Skills to Foster training, recording and safeguarding at the pre-approval stage. This mandatory training will earn carers 7 credits. A further 3 training credits can be earned by completing courses from the list of Pre-approval / Mandatory courses listed below or from other types of learning. For example, attending a support group with speaker or watching a documentary, reading a relevant book etc. The recruitment team are keen to support carers in achieving at least Skill Level 2 by the time they are approved at Fostering Panel.
Level 3
In order to progress to the Level 3 skills payment, the fostering household is expected to earn a minimum of 5 training credits per household to reach a total of 15 credits to progress to Level 3.
To remain on a Level 3 Skills payment – a minimum of 5 training credits need to be earned annually by the household and mandatory courses are kept up to date by both registered carers.
Specialist Carers
Hope foster carers and No Wrong Door carers will have opportunities for learning and training from both the fostering service and the specialist service they are linked with. They are expected to maintain this level of skill and knowledge through training as long as they are approved within that scheme.
COVID Update
In light of recent events in 2020/1 and varying restrictions, many classroom-based training courses paused and there are more online training courses made available instead. It is recognised that some courses are better delivered in a classroom training setting. This will be kept constantly under review and foster carers will be informed via email, or on Yammer when classroom training resumes. Some courses may remain available as an only online courses.
Feedback
It would be helpful to receive any feedback from carers about courses they have attended as this will help us to both improve the training pathway, and ensure that it is meeting carers learning needs. You may email any feedback to your SSW or by completing the course feedback form; most online courses provide feedback forms at the end.
Training sessions are held during the day, evenings or sometimes at weekends in convenient places, and may include online learning. Childcare may be provided and reasonable expenses may be paid to enable you to attend if the training is in person.
Foster carers who are in their first year of their fostering career can claim £25 child care costs when attending any level one courses from the training programme.
From the second year and thereafter carers can claim £25 three times a year for child care costs.
You cannot pay your partner to provide child care, but the person providing your child care does not need a DBS, or to be a registered childminder, it is your responsibility to choose an appropriate person to provide child care. These payments are to cover the cost of looking after a child/children in your care and not your own children.
It is your responsibility to keep track of the number of credits you achieve and let your SSW know if you think you should move up a level. You will be able to access your training history via ‘Olive’ and also upload any other training event you have attended (not organised by the SCSA) They will then ask you to evidence how you obtained the credits, what you have learned in the process and recommendations will then be made to progress up skills levels.
Surrey County Council’s online training portal, foster carer’s are issued with an account upon approval. Please contact your supervising social worker to verify. Courses can be booked from here and foster carers can upload certificates and social workers can update training for level progression.
Last Updated: October 3, 2023
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