Help For Foster Carers Make Even More Of A Difference To Young People
The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has revealed it will be launching the first set of England wide Standards to support the training and development of Foster Carers.
These Standards will help equip foster carers with the skills and knowledge to make a real difference to the lives of the children and young people they care for. With Foster Care Fortnight happening now, the ‘Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care’ are a new resource that will provide employers with a framework to guide the personal development of foster carers. CWDC says that these Standards will not only support carers in their often difficult roles, but will also improve their skills and allow opportunities for career progression.
Jane Haywood, Chief Executive of CWDC comments: “Foster carers often look after some of our most challenging children and young people yet they are often the most poorly paid and poorly supported section of the children’s workforce. These Standards will help employers lay firm foundations for skills and knowledge during the first two years of fostering. This in turn will help ensure that these children and young people receive the best possible care.
“In addition, by providing options for career progression and structured learning opportunities we can ensure that foster carers begin to get the recognition they deserve. Foster carers do an important but often difficult job and these Standards are a way to help carers be recognised as trained professionals who have a real impact upon the lives of the children and young people they care for. “
Parmjit Dhanda MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families adds: “Foster carers have a unique and essential role in caring for children and young people, especially those with complex needs. Providing a real home for those children, even temporarily, is crucial for their well being. We recognise the real progress that Local Authorities and Independent fostering agencies have made in recent years. “
He continues: “However, there are significant variations in the quality of foster care and that is why I wholly support these standards to bring a consistent approach to bringing up looked after children. With the introduction of the national minimum allowance and the ‘Training, Support and Development Standards’ foster carers will have the support and skills required for an often difficult job. Getting the support right for foster carers – including financial support – is an important priority for this Government”
The Standards have been adapted from the CWDC Induction Standards and build on the Common Core and the guidelines set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. They act as a national benchmark for foster carers and are accompanied by a framework that guides training and professional development. The framework is flexible so it can suit the learning needs of the foster carer and has been designed in a way that makes the Standards accessible and achievable.
A workbook is also being developed which will help carers evidence how they meet the Standards. Although no formal qualification is awarded, the Standards are mapped to units with the Health and Social Care NVQ so that carers wishing to undertake this qualification can use completed work as evidence. Workbooks completed by foster carers are assessed by the Local Authority Foster Care Service or Independent Fostering Agency, with the results used to inform annual reviews and to identify future development opportunities.
