Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency will provide training to foster carers in accordance with current legislative requirements, addressing both the carers' own development needs and the needs of the looked-after children for whom they are approved.
Training is split into three levels:
Pre-Approval Training
All prospective foster carers will be required to undertake the 3-day “skills to foster” preparation training. The training provides pre-approval applicants with the tools they need in order to meet the challenges and provide the support which fostered children and young people need to thrive. The course clearly presents, explains, and reinforces the care elements of foster care, focusing on the practical day by day skills and abilities required to begin a career in fostering.
Post Approval Training
Once a foster carer has been approved, it’s important to ensure that their training and development needs continue to be met. The skills needed to become a successful and experienced foster carer are vast, and it can be daunting when first starting your career in fostering. However, Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency will deliver training in a gradual and sustained manner to help you in your role.
Further training will include First Aid, Child Protection, Behavioural Management, Substance Abuse, Family Links, Separation and Loss, Educational Support, Communicating with Children, Working with Children who have been Sexually Abused, Valuing Diversity and Leaving Care to name a few examples from the programme.
Post approval training will also aim to consolidate knowledge gained with the actual experience of carers from children who have lived in their households.
Specialist Training
Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency is committed to ensuring the ongoing professional development of its experienced carers.
Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency has links with specialist organisations and individuals who can provide a range of training activities to meet specific needs or to increase knowledge in specific areas. Examples of these courses are, working with sex offenders, remand fostering, working with fire settings, working with severely abused children and specialist courses designed to equip carers with the skills to work with children with disabilities.
Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency will provide all training in line with the aims, objectives and guidance of the Training, Support and Development (TSD) standards.
This list is not exhaustive and the above courses are a select few which are available.
Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency will also provide more detailed and specialist training where there is an identified need for the carers training profiles or a specific need to assist with supporting a placement.
