Carer Training

Little Acorns recognise that fostering has become increasingly demanding and complex and we are committed to providing the highest quality training that is accessible and relevant to all our foster carers and their support networks.

Foster carer training and continued development is viewed as an extremely important element of our support to foster carers.

Comprehensive foster carer training is provided for all new fostering families based on the Fostering Network’s ‘Skills to Foster’ model and Personal Development Plans are identified throughout this process.

Little Acorns holds formal foster carer training on a bi-monthy basis covering a wide range of subjects and carer support groups in between.

Foster carers training is provided to:

• Enable foster carers to become better at doing their job
• Improve knowledge, develop and refine skills
• Establish an explicit, positive framework of values, which promotes equality of opportunity
• Encourage foster carers to reflect and look at the effects of discrimination in all parts of the community, recognising that they care for children in the context of wider society, and that for many children discrimination is a fact of everyday life
• Ensure that all foster carers remain competent and confident in safe caring and in protecting children from harm
• Encourage foster carers to take responsibility for their own professional development through the creation of individual training profiles i.e. TDS All Foster Carers will complete their TDS training within 12 months

Foster carer training at all levels incorporates certain key elements:

• Child protection
• Working with children who have been abused
• Safe caring
• Managing difficult behaviour
• Identity and self-esteem
• Valuing diversity and promoting equality
• Recording
• First Aid Health and Safety
• Health care of fostered children/young people
• Education of fostered children/young people
• Empowering children/young people
• Preparing young people for moving on and adult independence