Training and support
We are very proud of our fostering families and the care they provide for children across West Sussex. Our carers all bring their own unique skills and life experience to this role and we are committed to supporting them and their ongoing learning and development, from initial assessment right the way through their fostering career.
Training
Prior to approval
All Foster Carers going through the assessment process will attend a three-day Skills to Foster course which takes you through all the essential skills and knowledge you need to be a Foster Carer. This is a great opportunity to meet some of our team, local Foster Carers and other people who are also on their journey to being approved.
Newly approved Foster Carers
All Foster Carers are supported to complete the mandatory National Induction Standards for Foster Carers during their first year of fostering. The training covers things like understanding your role as a Foster Carer, health and safety, effective communication and safeguarding. All Foster Carers will also receive First Aid training.
Continued professional development
We have ongoing, regular, in-person and online training sessions available throughout the year – including evening sessions.
In addition to the ongoing mandatory training, a range of other courses are available to Foster Carers tailored to their needs to help them develop their skills and knowledge across a variety of different areas. This includes courses like:
Motivational Interviewing Training
Secure Base Workshops
Online safety courses
All Foster Carers will have access to our Learning and Development hub where they can find, and sign up to, courses they wish to attend.
Comprehensive support
As a West Sussex Foster Carer you are never alone. You will have a dedicated Supervising Social Worker and be part of the professional team around the child. You’ll work closely with children’s Social Workers, other professionals and birth families to gain the best possible outcomes for the children you care for.
We will support you every step of the way with:
One-to-one supervision from highly skilled and experienced Social Workers
Out-of-hours telephone support, so you're never alone to cope with difficult situations
Access to local face-to-face and online support groups for all types of fostering
Specialist links to therapeutic intervention services
Support for birth children through organised activities
Membership of the United Foster Carers Association - providing support and days out for fostering families
Free membership of The Fostering Network, the UK's leading fostering charity
Access to counselling services - should you ever need it
A new support network for Foster Carers
Here in West Sussex, we are committed to continually ensuring our Foster Carers have the support they require and we are proud to have just become part of The Fostering Network’s Mockingbird project.
Mockingbird is a national project with carers across the country forming close-knit communities. Being part of the Mockingbird project is like being part of an extended family. It works on the principle, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and that having a number of caring adults greatly improves the experience of living away from birth parents.
Mockingbird carers are mainstream Foster Carers and Special Guardians who, generally, live close to each other. They are supported by Hub Home carers who arrange social events, support, training, sleepovers and opportunities for families to come together and share their experiences and strengths. Mockingbird is open to carers and guardians from every walk of life, regardless of experience, with a willingness to get involved and be part of a new type of fostering community.
Professional support and competitive pay
Thinking of becoming a Foster Carer?
