The CWDC Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers

CWDC launched the Training, Support & Development Standards for Foster Carers in May 2007 during Foster Care Fortnight. The standards are accompanied by a guide for foster carers, a workbook and guidance for managers, supervising social workers and trainers. From April 2008 all fostering services are expected to be implementing the standards.

• CWDC Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care [PDF - 1.3 Mb]
• Foster care intro leaflet [PDF - 275 Kb]
• A guide for foster carers [PDF - 1.3 Mb]
• Guidance for managers, supervising social workers and trainers [PDF - 1.6 Mb]
• Foster care standards induction workbook [PDF - 427.5 Kb]
  Please note: The workbook was designed to be a hard copy, which are available free of change from CWDC. This PDF is only intended as a preview of what the book contains, it is NOT designed to be an online or electronic version of the book which can be typed into. If you wish to use the workbook please contact our foster care team to order your own professionally printed copy.

Foster care development portfolio folder inserts

Also available to download is a set of CWDC folder inserts to be used as a cover for foster carer development portfolios ring-binders.

• Front cover insert for foster carer development folder [PDF - 609 Kb]
• Spine cover insert for foster carer development folder [PDF - 23.5 Kb]
• Back cover insert for foster carer development folder [PDF - 441 kb]

About the Standards

CWDC has developed these standards to support the training and development of foster carers. The Standards set out the key areas of training that foster carers will need before they are approved and what they need after approval.

These Training, Support and Development Standards build on the work of the CWDC Induction Standards which were launched in September 2006.

There are seven Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care:

• Standard 1: Understand the principles and values essential for fostering children and young people
• Standard 2: Understand your role as a Foster Carer
• Standard 3: Understand health and safety, and healthy caring
• Standard 4: Know how to communicate effectively
• Standard 5: Understand the development of children and young people
• Standard 6: Safeguard children and young people (keep them safe from harm)
• Standard 7: Develop yourself

For more information about the standards and guidance on how to use them, please download the documents listed earlier on this page or download this TSD standards training presentation [PDF - 318.5 Kb] from the Fostering Network which gives more detailed information.

Key messages from early implementation

This additional guidance has been published to coincide with the national roll out of the CWDC Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care from April 2008. It should be read in conjunction with the earlier guidance publications. The document captures the key learning from CWDC's early implementation and field testing of the standards, and can be used to help inform implementation of the standards in your fostering service.

Foster care early implementation guidance [118 Kb].

Examples

Cheshire County Council have mapped the standards against both the Skills to Foster competencies and the relevant NVQ units. Many thanks to Sue Betteridge (Foster Carer) and Helen Keaney-Cheetham for undertaking and sharing this piece of work. 

TSD standards mapped to skills to foster competencies and NVQ units [PDF - 140 Kb]