The Skills to Foster training course is an essential step in you making a decision about whether to foster with Fitzgerald Fostering, which is why this is delivered by our therapist/training co-ordinator in person with contributions from an experienced foster carer.
We are also one of the few fostering agencies that provide you with this training before you apply to become a foster carer, so that your decision to apply to be a foster carer is fully informed.
Here is a selection of feedback from our recent attendees:
• ‘Eye opening and emotional’.
• ‘Gave me a real insight into fostering and this agency’.
• ‘Helped me decide if fostering was the right path for me’.
Here’s what you can expect from the course:
• Typically, we deliver the training over 2 days, at our local office in Bracknell.
• The material is a mix of group discussions, presentations and real – life case studies to consider.
• You’ll have the opportunity to train alongside other potential carers and therefore start to form relationships with others on the same journey.
• You’ll have a chance to meet members of the management team, and if you go on to foster with Fitzgerald this will be the start of a close working relationship.
• LUNCH – it’s important!
Main Topics Covered
1. Understanding Fostering
2. Child Development & Attachment
3. Safer Caring
4. Managing Behaviour
5. Identity, Diversity, and Equality
6. Working with Birth Families
What we expect from you:
• Attendance once we’ve agreed a date and time.
• Active participation in discussion and activities.
• Reflection on your own values, experiences and reasons for fostering.
• Openness to learning and feedback.
At the end of the training, we’ll discuss with you what the next steps could be, and this might include making an application to be assessed to become a foster carer. We feel passionately that those who apply to fostering are fully informed before making decisions, and this contributes to our high retention rates over the past 17 years.
