Foster Care Standards And Training
Childrens Workforce Development Council
Childrens Workforce Development Council
Everyone who wants to become a Foster carer has to undertake an assessment. The assessment is about exploring their individual skills and experiences which will be as varied as the children who need foster carers.
The foster care assessment also provides applicants with information about fostering and how foster caring will affect them, their family and friends. If applicants have children, it is important that they talk with them at an early stage about being part of a fostering family.
As an application to foster proceeds, applicants will be invited to attend a training course. Most fostering providers use the Fostering Network course called "Skills to Foster". The course gives people the opportunity to learn more about foster care and fostering and is part of the assessment process.
This is also a chance to meet other people applying to become foster carers and to hear what approved foster carers have to say about their experiences of fostering.
When people are approved as foster carers, the are Standards for training and personal development for all Foster carers, The Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care have been developed by the Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC) who is responsible for ensuring that people working with children, young people and their families have the best possible training, qualifications, support and advice.
The Standards have been designed to support Foster Carers from approval through the first two years of service. They give Fostering providers a framework for training and professional development which will mean Foster Carers get the best possible training, information and knowledge to make a difference to the lives of fostered children.
There are seven Standards which cover the main areas of the foster care role and set out what Foster Carers should know, understand and be able to do:
Standard 1: understand the principles and values essential for fostering children and young people.
Standard 2: understand your role as a Foster Carer.
Standard 3: understand health and safety, and healthy caring.
Standard 4: know how to communicate effectively.
Standard 5: understand the development of children and young people.
Standard 6: safeguard children and young people (keep them safe from harm).
Standard 7: develop yourself.
The Standards are designed to recognise the position of Foster Carers who provide a unique service fostering children in their own homes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Standards support and take Foster Carers through their pre-approval and first year of fostering. They provide a level standard to ensure all Foster Carers receive relevant induction training, support and continuing professional development across the fostering spectrum.
The Standards should be used with all new Foster Carers and by 2011, with all Foster Carers.
It is of paramount importance to choose the right fostering agency, there are over seven hundred in the UK. Simply Fostering, the UK national foster carer recruitment website provides help by answering questions and identifying the most suitable local fostering agencies with vacancies.
Simply Fostering help people interested in becoming foster carers to act on the Government's advice to 'contact more than one Fostering Agency if you are interested in a fostering career'.
For comprehensive and easy to understand information, help and advice, contact Annette or Joe at Simply Fostering.
by: Joe Webb
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