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Training for Carers

We recognise that fostering is an increasing complex task and that ongoing training and professional development is required for all carers in order to enable them to carry out their caring role. In addition to our pre approval Skills to Foster training we offer:

Fortnightly Support and Development Groups

These are held in Stirling and all carers are encouraged to attend. Part of every group will include an element of training provided by one of the resourcing team or will feature a speaker from an agency within Stirling who can provide services to foster carers or the children that they care for. Another important aspect of the support and development groups is peer support and there is always some informal time over coffee to discuss issues or difficulties with other carers.

Core Training

We have four Core Training days a year which take place on a Thursday but two are repeated on a Saturday to allow partners who may be working to attend. These full day trainings are necessary if foster carers wish to develop their skills and proceed up the Skills Level (See Service Provider Scheme). Topics vary from year to year but will include areas such as:

  • Child Protection
  • Working with Children who have been sexually abused
  • Safe Caring
  • Managing Difficult Behaviour
  • Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality
  • First Aid
  • Working with Families
  • Relieving Stress in Foster care

We encourage existing carers to identify their own training needs and to suggest topics on which further training would be helpful.

Multi-disciplinary Training

Foster carers work as part of the child care team and some individual training events to which foster carers are invited will also be attended by social workers and teachers. An example of this is the 6 week course “Learning with Care” which seeks to promote the educational achievement of looked after and accommodated children and also to develop understanding between social workers, carers and teachers about their different roles in achieving this aim.

We offer foster carers who have at least 2 years experience the chance to gain nationally recognised Child Care Qualifications.

Some of our carers have already achieved the Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Level 3 in caring for children and young people. This does not necessitate attending college, as the resourcing team social workers are accredited assessors for this award and support their carers in achieving this qualification.