Foster care training
The Foster Care service offer a comprehensive training pathway for foster carers, that will develop a diverse skill set.
Mandatory training
Once you are approved as a foster carer, there are several courses that must be completed, these include First Aid and Record Keeping.
Core training
These courses are central to your professional development as foster carers. It is expected that all foster carers complete these courses, but the timescales are relatively flexible.
Specialist training
We are also offer specialist courses that cover a wide range of topics relating to children, young people and fostering in general. Attendance at these training sessions will be dependent on your own interests, the age of children you foster and the type of fostering you provide now or wish to provide in the future.
Bookings
Please discuss with your allocated Supervising Social Worker before booking any training. A request can be made via training.support@southampton.gov.uk. Please ensure you supply a unique email address for each foster carer requested.
Upcoming training
| Seminar Name | Venue | Date | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diversity - Exploring the impact of discrimination, oppression & unconscious bias | Civic Centre | 27 January 2025 | 9:30am | 1pm |
| Introduction to Domestic Abuse Workshop Morning | Virtual | 28 January 2025 | 10am | 11:30am |
| Introduction to Domestic Abuse Workshop Evening | Virtual | 28 January 2025 | 7pm | 8:30pm |
| Health assessments in suspected CSA | Virtual | 29 January 2025 | 12noon | 1pm |
| Introduction to Health – Supporting Children & YP Health Needs | Virtual | 30 January 2025 | 9:30am | 11am |
| Reunification to the Birth Family | Civic Centre | 3 February 2025 | 9:30am | 1:30pm |
| Moving Children on to Adoption | Virtual | 4 February 2025 | 9:30am | 1pm |
| Foster Carer Conversations – QA Risk Outside the Home | Virtual | 5 February 2025 | 12noon | 1pm |
| Record Keeping/Writing to the Child | Virtual | 5 February 2025 | 7pm | 8:30pm |
| Supporting Children's Race, Religion and Identity needs | Virtual | 10 February 2025 | 9:30am | 1pm |
| Speech and Language Therapist | Virtual | 10 February 2025 | 9:30am | 10:30am |
| Education Matters: communication – Speech and Language therapist | Virtual | 12 February 2025 | 9:30am | 10:30am |
| Emotional Based School Absence | Virtual | 25 February 2025 | 10am | 11am |
| Supporting the Health Needs of Children and YP in Your Care | Virtual | 26 February 2025 | 6pm | 7:30pm |
| Introduction to Attachment Trauma and Child Development | Virtual | 27 February 2025 | 10am | 12noon |
| First Aid for Foster Carers | Civic Centre | 1 March 2025 | 9:30am | 4:30pm |
| Adolescent Relationship Abuse | Virtual | 3 March 2025 | 10am | 12:30pm |
| Contextual Safeguarding | Virtual | 5 March 2025 | 7pm | 8:30pm |
| Life Story Work, Identity & Making Memories | Civic Centre | 10 March 2025 | 9:30am | 2:30pm |
| Introduction to Safeguarding for Foster Carers | Virtual | 12 March 2025 | 9:30am | 12noon |
| Safer Caring & Allegations | Virtual | 18 March 2025 | 10am | 2pm |
| First Aid for Foster Carers | Civic Centre | 7 May 2025 | 9:30am | 4:30pm |
| Introduction to Emotional Coping Skills | Virtual | 12 May 2025 | 10am | 2:30pm |
| Contextual Safeguarding | Virtual | 19 May 2025 | 10am | 11:30am |
| Introduction to Health – Supporting Children & YP Health Needs | Virtual | 9 June 2025 | 6pm | 7:30pm |
Useful links
- FosterTalk, an independent not-for-profit organisation providing high quality professional advice and guidance to all foster carers. Find out more about FosterTalk
- Mockingbird is an evidence-based model structure where groups of foster carers support each other, with a hub carer to co-ordinate activities, meetings and respite care. Find out more about Mockingbird
- New Family Social, a UK charity who provide support for LGBTQ+ families with fostering and adoption, we can offer you their free Gold membership (if you are being assessed or are approved as a foster carer). Find out more about New Family Social
