(Last reviewed 21/05/2025)
The Positive Aspirations Group is a learning organisation that places a strong emphasis on the growth of Foster Carers and staff, values innovation and creativity, adapts to change, and continually improves how we function.
Legislation
Fostering Services (England) Regulations (2011)
Regulation 17
National Minimum Standards
The Positive Aspirations Group encourages and supports Foster Carers to engage in lifelong learning and development. The staff and leaders of each agency aim for Foster Carers to provide excellent homes that safeguard and promote the welfare of every child and young person at all times. Many of our training courses are accredited by the CPD Certification Service.
During assessment pre-panel:
Prior to approval, applicants must complete the ‘Skills to Foster’ training.
During the assessment, applicants must also complete the following five mandatory courses:
- Paediatric First Aid
- Positive Parenting
- Safeguarding & Safer Care
- Health and Hygiene (Caring for the Whole Child)
- Health & Safety in the Fostering Home
The courses must be renewed every three years.
To access these courses, please use your agency-specific online-training link and sign up:
Greater London Fostering: https://glf.fosteringtraining.com/
Fostering Hearts: https://hearts.fosteringtraining.com/
South Coast Fostering: https://scfostering.fosteringtraining.com/
Because the E-Learning site hosts many courses, please enter the full course title (as listed above) into the site search bar to locate the correct course.
These courses are also offered on Zoom throughout the year; please check the training programme to confirm whether a session is available before panel.
Applicants are welcome to attend other sessions in the training programme, giving them the chance to benefit from the experience and knowledge of existing Foster Carers.
It is important that the birth children of fostering families receive clear information about fostering, and—while the assessor meets with birth children during the assessment—Positive Aspirations also runs a ‘Skills to Foster’ course specifically for birth children. All birth children aged 8 years and older will be invited to attend.
Post-Approval Training:
Immediately following approval, Foster Carers sign a ‘Foster Carer’s Agreement’ confirming their commitment to ongoing self-development.
Please note that the following five mandatory training courses MUST be refreshed every three years:
- Paediatric First Aid
- Positive Parenting
- Safeguarding & Safer Care
- Health and Hygiene (Caring for the Whole Child)
- Health & Safety in the Fostering Home
All Foster Carers receive course information during assessment and after approval. After approval, Foster Carers meet with their Supervising Social Worker to create a Personal Development Plan (PDP) that sets out a timetable of planned learning. This PDP is reviewed at least annually and always during Foster Carers’ Annual Reviews.
In the first year there will be several ‘Core’ subjects that every new Foster Carer must complete; this is known as the ‘Induction Programme’. Every new Foster Carer receives an induction in three parts. The first two parts take place immediately after the Agency Decision Maker’s panel decision: 1) an Induction Checklist from the Referral, Assessment and Placements Team and 2) an induction meeting with the Foster Carer’s allocated Supervising Social Worker. After this, there is ‘The Foundations For Fostering’ Workshop, which explores key topics in more depth. All Foster Carers must attend the induction and the workshop; household members and support-network members are encouraged to attend where advised.
Please note that if a support-network member (known as Enhanced Support) will look after a fostered child while the foster family is unavailable, that person MUST complete the mandatory training:
- Paediatric First Aid
- Positive Parenting
- Safeguarding & Safer Care
- Health and Hygiene (Caring for the Whole Child)
- Health & Safety in the Fostering Home
Within the first twelve months of approval, all Foster Carers are helped to evidence their Training, Support and Development Standards (TSDS) and complete a workbook of evidence (see below for more detail).
Continuous Personal Development (CPD):
The PDP focuses on ongoing development—taking into account experience, interests, and the needs of any child in placement.
Supervising Social Workers play an active role in identifying training and development needs and in sourcing learning opportunities, including training required to meet the specific needs of children in the home.
Learning can be achieved in a variety of ways, matched to individual preferences, learning styles, and needs, and should be discussed and agreed in Supervision sessions, PDP meetings, and Annual Reviews. Possible routes include:
- Internal training courses (in person and via Zoom)
- External training delivered by another agency or authority, e.g. conferences
- Relevant training attended in other workplace settings
- One-to-one learning in the Foster Carer’s own home
- Online training
- Webinars
- Distance learning
- Guided reading
- Shadowing opportunities
- Mentoring from a more experienced Foster Carer
- Support groups
- Use of reflective diaries
The agencies aim to make learning accessible for all Foster Carers; anyone experiencing difficulty should speak with their Supervising Social Worker and/or the Training Manager.
For example, if IT support is needed, the Supervising Social Worker or a Director will help the Foster Carer build IT skills. On request—and subject to availability—Foster Carers may use computers at the agency office.
There is no minimum annual learning-hours requirement; however, every Foster Carer is expected to complete the training identified in their PDP and to undertake at least three self-development activities each year.
The mandatory courses must be refreshed every three years:
- Paediatric First Aid
- Positive Parenting
- Safeguarding & Safer Care
- Health and Hygiene (Caring for the Whole Child)
- Health & Safety in the Fostering Home
Foster Carers are also encouraged to broaden their understanding of Child Sexual Exploitation, Radicalisation, and Extremism.
There is no maximum amount of learning: the agency encourages every Foster Carer to keep reflecting, growing, and strengthening professional knowledge.
Where Foster Carers do not comply with the expectations of their PDP:
In the first instance, if agreed learning is not completed (i.e. activities identified in the PDP have not taken place), the Foster Carer and their Supervising Social Worker will discuss the reasons; where appropriate, the Team Manager or Training Manager will join these discussions, and the matter will be raised at the Annual Review so that the Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer can draw up an action plan.
The Foster Carer and Supervising Social Worker may then be asked to explain the situation to Panel.
The Training Manager and Supervising Social Worker will facilitate training for Foster Carers who may find it challenging to engage—for example, by offering training outside office hours, providing online options, or arranging one-to-one learning in the Foster Carer’s home.
Where the Foster Carer has not provided evidence of learning and no children are placed, future placements may be paused until the identified learning has been completed.
In addition, no approval-status changes can be made until the required learning is finished.
Panel will request an early update in such cases to review the Foster Carer’s commitment to self-development.
Ongoing Training:
The agencies ensure that Foster Carers maintain a training and development portfolio demonstrating how they meet the skills required by the fostering service (via their PDP).
Foster Carers’ PDPs outline how they will be supported to undertake ongoing training and development suited to their needs and experience; PDPs are updated at least once per year during the Foster Carer’s Annual Review.
The agencies ensure that Foster Carers develop the skills needed to provide high-quality care tailored to each child and young person in their care. Progress is monitored at each Annual Review through the PDP. Feedback and suggestions from Foster Carers, Panel members, social workers, and other professionals inform the training programme to ensure courses meet service needs.
All training takes place within an equal-opportunities and anti-discriminatory framework and is scheduled to encourage attendance—for example, by offering sessions on different days, at varied times, in group settings, and online. One-to-one support is provided where needed.
Where two adults in one household are approved as joint Foster Carers, both must successfully complete all mandatory training.
Attention is given to the training needs of particular groups (e.g. male Foster Carers). Each agency also offers flexible training for Foster Carers who cannot attend during typical office hours, including comprehensive online courses.
There is an ongoing programme of training and self-development so Foster Carers can build skills and address areas for improvement.
Training on Child Sexual Exploitation, Radicalisation, and Extremism is available, and all Foster Carers are encouraged to upskill in this area. If a Foster Carer is looking after a child with specific needs or background, they are required to complete training that addresses that need.
If a family is interested in fostering a parent and child/ren, they must first complete specialist parent-and-child training and then undergo a capacity and skills assessment, which will be presented to Panel to change their approval. This must happen before a parent and child/ren can be placed, and the training must be refreshed every three years.
Specific consideration is given to any help or support needed by the sons and daughters of Foster Carers. The views of children in placement and of Foster Carers’ sons and daughters are actively sought. Adult sons and daughters, as well as adult household members, are invited and encouraged to attend training.
Training on:
- Paediatric First Aid
- Positive Parenting
- Safeguarding & Safer Care
- Health and Hygiene (Caring for the Whole Child)
- Health & Safety in the Fostering Home
is provided for all members of the foster household. As with the main Foster Carers, household members are expected to refresh this learning every three years.
Each Annual Review includes an appraisal of training and development needs and an updated PDP. Reviews measure performance against clear expectations and standards and look at training needs. The PDP is reviewed, and the impact of training and development is evaluated. Foster Carers complete evaluation forms after each training course, and other feedback methods (e.g. Panel discussions with the Agency Decision Maker) are used to monitor effectiveness. Annual Reviews consider the views of children in placement, sons and daughters of Foster Carers, social workers, and other professionals.
The agency is transparent with Foster Carers about the support and training available and explains how to access it—both in the Foster Carer Handbook and during induction (checklist), including attendance at ‘The Foundations For Fostering’ Workshop.
Training effectiveness is continually reviewed through feedback from Supervising Social Workers, Foster Carers, Panel members, managers, and other professionals, and is reported annually to Panel. Each new training programme takes account of feedback and suggestions from the previous year.
Training Support & Development Standards (TSDS)
Following approval, Foster Carers are invited to monthly sessions to work on their portfolios and can also receive home visits from a dedicated facilitator.
The agency actively supports Foster Carers to achieve the TSDS within twelve months, helping families understand how the standards support them and encouraging them to build on any development areas identified during assessment.
The agency ensures that Foster Carers and staff understand that completing the TSDS is a requirement for all approved Foster Carers in England, as referenced in the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services 2011.
Foster Carers must evidence that they meet all seven standards, particularly where those standards relate to the children they care for.
Compliance with Regulations and National Minimum Standards:
The fostering service provider must offer Foster Carers the training, advice, information, and support— including out-of-hours support—needed to promote the welfare of the children placed with them (Regulation 17, Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011).
National Minimum Standards – Support, Training, and Information for Foster Carers:
Every new Foster Carer receives an induction (checklist), and the primary Foster Carer must attend ‘The Foundations For Fostering’ Workshop. Foster Carers must evidence that they have attained the Training, Support and Development Standards within twelve months of approval (or by April 2011 for Foster Carers approved before April 2008, and by April 2012 for family-and-friends Foster Carers). Fostering households may use the same evidence workbook. Foster Carers maintain an ongoing training and development portfolio showing how they meet the skills required by the fostering service.
Foster Carers’ PDPs set out how they will be supported to undertake ongoing training and development that meets both the needs of the children in placement and their own development needs and experience. The PDP is reviewed, and training effectiveness is evaluated. Reviews consider the views of each child currently placed.
Support and training are made available to Foster Carers—including those who face engagement barriers—to help them meet the specific needs of the children they are caring for or may care for. Training is offered flexibly (e.g. weekends, evenings, online, or in-home).
Appropriate safer-caring training is provided for all members of the foster household, including young people who are old enough to understand, ensuring everyone knows how to apply safer-caring principles in ways that fit each child’s needs.
All training follows equal-opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice principles and is organised to encourage and facilitate attendance.
When a Foster Carer moves to a new fostering service, details of their development and training, and information on the extent to which they have met agreed training and development standards, are shared with the new provider on request.
When Training is Identified as part of the Matching Process
As part of matching children and young people, the Referral Response Team may sometimes recommend that Foster Carers complete specific training based on the needs identified in the referral.
When specific training is identified, it is allocated to the Foster Carer via the training app. Foster Carers and Supervising Social Workers will receive an email outlining the proposed courses, and a default fourteen-day timeframe is set for completion.
Supervising Social Workers may review the suggested training after the IPA or once they know more about the child or young person and decide whether the training is desirable or essential.
Essential training remains due within the fourteen-day deadline.
Desirable training receives an extended deadline (reviewed during supervision) or, if deemed unnecessary, is removed from the Foster Carer’s training plan. When training is marked desirable or removed, the Supervising Social Worker records the reasons for this decision.
The Foster Carer, Team Manager, or Registered Manager will receive a reminder email at the fourteen-day point if essential training has not been completed. Further reminders are sent fortnightly until the training is finished.
When SSWs (including IROs) identify essential training
When a Supervising Social Worker identifies an essential training need, it is added via the training app with a fourteen-day completion deadline, triggering reminder emails as described above.
When SSWs (including IROs) identify desirable training
When a Supervising Social Worker identifies desirable training, it is added via the training app, and completion timelines are reviewed during monthly supervision.
