Foster carer training and development

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Our comprehensive training programme will equip you with the skills and knowledge you’ll need so you can best support the children in your care.

Helping you to provide the best possible care

Skills to Foster

Before you become a foster carer you will be required to attend a Skills to Foster training. The three-day course will help you prepare to become a foster carer. The course will take place either during the week or weekends, with sessions lasting from 10am to 3pm. The training aims to make you feel more ‘ready’ to foster. The interactive sessions are delivered by our experienced fostering teams and carers, you’ll also get to meet other new carers. It will focus on:

The role of the foster carer
Understanding and caring for our children – providing therapeutic care giving
Working with professionals to help keep our children safe and help them to reach their potential
Supporting children’s identity
Welcoming a child into your home
Supporting children to leave care/ move on

Training during your first year as a foster carer

You’ll never stop learning when you foster. Every child you care for will have their own unique needs. To help you continue to develop your knowledge and skills you will have access to a wide range of online and in-person training. During your first year as a foster carer, with the support of your supervising social worker, you will complete the training and development standards.

Through this programme, you will look at:

Therapeutic care giving – Secure Base and PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy)
Safeguarding our children
Supporting positive behaviour and attachments
Safer caring
Paediatric first aid
Reflective supervision for foster carers

Ongoing training and development

Training doesn’t stop after your first year of fostering. Our comprehensive therapeutic and child-focused training programme supports our foster carers to continue to develop their knowledge and skills. You will be rewarded for your skills, experience, training and qualifications through our remuneration scheme. It recognises that fostering is an increasingly professional role and is designed to reward all our carers for their continued professional development.

There are three core skills levels reflecting the skills, knowledge, and experiences of our foster carers. There is mandatory training for each level, which needs to be completed before you progress to the next level.

Mandatory Training Level 1

Level 3 Emergency Paediatrics First Aid
Valuing and Promoting Diversity
Safeguarding Children
Safer Care
Health and Safety

Mandatory Training Level 2

The above courses in Level 1 plus:

Reflective Supervision & the Role of the Social Worker
TSDS Workbook
Education Workshop
Secure Base
4 (minimum) additional pieces of relevant training

Mandatory Training Level 3

The above courses in Level 1 and Level 2, plus:

Foundations for Growth
Challenging Behaviour
6 (minimum) additional pieces of relevant training

Supporting you to care

As an approved foster carer, you will be allocated your own supervising social worker who will work with you to develop a support package to meet your needs before you have your first child placed with you. This might for example include weekly visits for the first six weeks and monthly supervision meetings. Your supervising social worker is there to support you to make a difference to the child in your care, in between visits they are available at the end of the phone when you need them, and you will also have access to the wider experienced fostering team. Caring for a child is a full-time job, that’s why our support extends beyond 9 to 5, you’ll always be able to speak to an experienced social worker 24/7, 365 days a year.

You will also have access to an extensive range of support groups and a much wider support network of experienced foster carers, many with decades of experience. You will also get free membership to the Doncaster Foster Carers Association, a charity run by foster carers for our Foster for Doncaster carers. The charity runs a weekly youth club and events throughout the year, giving children and carers the opportunity to have fun and build friendships with others in the fostering community.

A buddy to help you get started

When you become a foster carer, you’ll have an experienced foster carer ‘buddy’ by your side. They’ll be there to provide advice, support, and guidance whenever you need it.

Mockingbird - creating an extended fostering family around the child and carer

We are proud to be delivering the Mockingbird Family Model here in Doncaster. It aims to replicate the practical support a non-fostering family might receive from friends and family.

It brings together up to ten foster families to form an extended ‘fostering family’. At the heart of each foster family is a hub home where a specially trained foster carer supports other carers within the 'family' by helping out with things like breaks, babysitting, regular joint planning, social activities or just a familiar friend who is there to offer support and advice.

We have been running the model in Doncaster since the end of 2015 and have seen how it has benefited our foster carers and our children and young people. This extended 'foster family' empowers families to support each other and overcome problems before they escalate, and offers children a more positive experience of care. It also builds links with other foster families and to resources in the wider community. This can provide them with enhanced opportunities to learn, develop and succeed.

Doncaster Foster Carers Association

Once you’re approved, you’ll automatically get FREE membership to the Doncaster Foster Carers Association – a charity run by foster carers for foster carers.

Here’s what the charity offers:

Community Connection: Opportunities for foster carers to connect with others in the area. You can share experiences, tips and advice with fellow carers.
Weekly Youth Club: All our fostering families are invited to the weekly youth club. It’s not only a chance for children to make friends in a fun and friendly environment but also gives carers the chance to get to know other carers in their community.
Memorable Activities: The group organise subsidized trips to the theatre, day outings, and various activities throughout the year. These experiences help our fostering families create lasting memories for the children.
One-to-one support where carers can discuss their experiences and share advice. New members find this particularly valuable as they learn from tried-and-tested solutions to common challenges.
Collaboration with Doncaster Fostering Service: While independent, the Doncaster Foster Carers Association works closely with the fostering service, sharing feedback and opinions to help shape the support for carers.

When you Foster for Doncaster you’ll also receive a weekly allowance to support with caring for the child in your care. Check out how much you can earn on our payment and benefits calculator page.