New Workbook to Support Foster Carers

The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) today published a new workbook which is designed to provide a framework for foster carers to work their way through the ‘Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care.’

Recently launched, the ‘Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care’ are designed to support foster carers from pre-approval through their first two years of fostering. The Standards equip a foster carer with the skills and knowledge to ensure that children and young people get the best possible care.

The ‘Your Induction and Workbook to Foster Care’ provides a tool for foster carers to learn about and evidence each Standard. It also gives a framework to help foster carers and their employers identify development and training needs in relation to each Standard. The workbook is organised to give an in-depth explanation of each Standard, with sample questions a foster carer may be asked and spaces to make notes and plan the induction process.

With all the Standards underpinned by a Principles and Values Statement for Foster Carers, the workbook enables a foster carer to easily structure their learning. The workbook acts as a support tool to the foster carer and will help to give them ideas and routes to progress their career. Following completion of the workbook and sufficient evidence that they have met the required learning outcomes for each Standard, the foster carer will be presented with a CWDC Certificate of Successful Completion signed by their  manager. No examinations are involved in the process.

Jane Haywood, Chief Executive of CWDC comments: “We are pleased to be increasing the support available to foster carers and this workbook is a valuable tool to support their vital learning process. Fostering is a very rewarding but challenging job and it is important that we ensure that people are supported with the right skills development and training. The workbook is a key element of this as it gives foster carers a framework that they can complete and evidence that they meet the Standards.

“This process will not only help build their confidence in the early days, but will also help ensure that they have the right skills to make a real difference. We look forward to receiving feedback about this, and hope that foster carers will share with us how it has helped them.”