• Agencies call it mandatory training
  • This includes safeguarding, safer caring and first aid - to be repeated every 3 yrs
  • TSDS - within 12 months
  • Safeguarding training - in chunks and includes other things:
  • FGM
  • Prevent / county lines
  • Suicidal awareness
  • Exploitation - CSE
  • Other mandatory included first aid, GDPR
  • Therapeutic crisis intervention - over 4 days
  • Most agencies agreed that mandatory training is to be refreshed every 3 yrs
  • Also - internet training, social media, reporting and recording, allegations, fire safety, equality was discussed
  • Working with families - understanding court direction, contact
  • Secure base
  • Pace foundation
  • Varied re how many expected to attend annually - less for “2nd carer”
  • Others said no different for both carers - both carers
  • Ethics and protocol and building relationships follows on as a day 4 of STF once approved
  • Some agencies asked applicants to undertake some of the mandatory training prior to approval - safeguarding, therapeutic parenting - however, caution re this as might not get approved - so not to do with approved foster carers
  • Safe use of medication
  • Therapeutic de-escalation - shades
  • Health and safety in the home
  • Stage 2 - if carers in stage 2 asked to attend training online
  • Prep for fostering - 1 day and not STF - the supplementary training makes up the programme - from some of the above
  • Radicalisation - how often repeat - some say 3 yearly or as things emerge
  • Look at cohort of training needs and plan and develop depending on themes and needs
  • A map of training - eg if dealing with more yp who are taking drugs - ensure drug awareness on the programme
  • Some do their own prep training - role of the foster carer and look at expectations
  • Learning and development officer - some agencies have a dedicated person - who considers the pdp’s of carers, review them, looks at gaps
  • Specific training if a child has a specific need - eg Autism - relate training to need and skill base
  • Tip - have fewer mandatory / compulsory courses - if can't achieve a long list would be in breach of own policy - NMS - health and 4 others - positive parenting
  • Move on to the others on the list as an ongoing programme
  • Combination of training - intro into many subject areas, tasters and then a longer course at a later date - face to face
  • Informal learning - over coffee, differing topics
  • Briefings - log on to short sessions
  • Emotional well-being a course to consider
  • Infection control - someone talked of their insurance requesting this
  • Peer support scheme - training for mentees
  • Parent and child - some agencies do not approve for this initially need experience
  • Refreshers and updates through briefings - not repetitive as people don't want to attend
  • Children’s workshops - prevent and various subjects depending on the children
  • 2nd carers - eve and weekends and also for children out of school hours
  • Mandatory - household - everyone in the house to complete, however they can do it online and don't have to be face to face
  • Extended family as above
  • Support network - expectations re online training
  • How is it monitored - reflected upon
  • Foster carers who work - still require to attend, more challenging but must make themselves available
  • PDP - family members don't have a PDP, noted in family file
  • Health issues - may be flexible in how they learn
  • Safer caring and safeguarding - a must
  • Birth / carers own children - children’s forum and some learning opportunities
  • Balance of compliance and caring for children - challenging
  • Supervision - and use of to discuss PDP or use the session to do some briefings
  • Online - self paced and repeat once approved with social worker
  • Carer review - not a tick box and pdp not just before review - evidence of the training attended being spaced out over 12 mths
  • Expectations - to attend 1 every quarter and not all at once
  • PDP - learning outcomes and how reflected
  • Evaluations - learning objectives
  • SW to read the reflection or evaluation of carers who attend online - and bring into discussion
  • Consequences for carers who don't attend - focused action plan, 1-1 training, etc
  • Reminders and alerts every month of programme - admin support
  • If one attends and the other doesn't - discussion re does this become a standards of care concern
  • Eg a carer did not attend training for 4 yrs but the other carer regularly attended and the care of the children was good - offered 1-1 and online but not logging on
  • Online training - can see how long it takes to complete the course and not just rushing through it - sw to observe this
  • How learning is disseminated in the family and discussions to share learning - maybe joint sessions with the SSW - more manageable for families and a consistent message
  • De-escalation - all carers should have this training - however, only those identified should have physical intervention training - dependent on risk and the risk plan
  • Supervision - laptops together and complete together - good for SSW and carers for their shared development / PDP and discussion re strategies
Registered as a company in England & Wales No. 06717310 Registered office: Windsor House, Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3AT
Log in | Powered by White Fuse