Training Frequently Asked Questions
Your frequent questions
Your frequent questions
What training do I need to attend this year?
I am working towards Level 1 of the Skills Scheme. What do I need to do?
I am working towards Level 2 of the Skills Scheme. What do I need to do?
I am struggling to attend the courses because I work
Where can I get support with the workbook?
Is there any help with childcare to attend courses?
I have a family member who wants to attend the courses. Can they?
Finding the right course/provision
I am struggling with my child’s behaviour. What is on offer?
Are there any courses around ADHD and Autism?
I am worried about my child’s mental health. Any courses to help?
I am concerned about my child’s activity on-line. Any courses to help?
Do you have any courses on Adverse Childhood Experiences?
What training do I need to attend this year?
Mandatory courses – All Sefton Foster carers need attend and renew the Mandatory courses every three years. Mandatory courses are First Aid, Allegations & Safer Care, and Safeguarding.
Minimum annual requirement –As part of your fostering registration you are required to attend courses every year to keep up to date with practice developments and refresh your learning in your family’s current context.
If you are a kinship carer the minimum number of training events you can attend is 2 courses per year (your mandatory courses can be included in this). The second carer in the household can attend 1.
Carers who care for children not from their birth family (mainstream carers) need to attend a minimum of 4 training events, 2 for the second carers.
Carers who have achieved Level 2 Skills Scheme need to attend 6 training events, with the second carers attending 3 events. (One course with 6 sessions counts as 6 training events.)
Required training for 2024 –Periodically, practice guidance will emerge that we need to share with our foster carers, either because it is service wide guidance or because it supports them to care for specific groups of children.
In 2024 we have planned a learning event for all carers to attend. This will be a great day with chance to learn in a pleasant space and enjoy a meal with other carers.
The Building Attachment Bonds is to be attended by all registered carers.
Empathic Behaviour Management is attended by all carers who receive enhanced payments for the children they care for.
I am working towards Level 1 of the Skills Scheme. What do I need to do?
To achieve Level 1 Skills Scheme payments you need to attend all the Level 1 courses and complete the Training Support and Development Workbook. The Level 1 courses are:
Introduction to Attachment and Therapeutic Parenting
Safety in the Home
Recording
Helping Children to Understand their Story
Managing Transitions
If you are working towards Skills Scheme payments, full attendance is needed. If there are issues with this, please seek advice from the Training Development Officer angela.sitoe@sefton.gov.uk
I am working towards Level 2 of the Skills Scheme. What do I need to do?
To achieve Level 2 Skills Scheme payments you need to attend all the Level 2 courses and complete the Level 2 workbook. There are separate workbooks for kinship carers and for mainstream carers. The Level 2 courses are:
Children’s Rights and Advocacy
Family Time
Equality and Diversity
Meeting Educational Needs
Meeting Health Needs
Therapeutic Parenting for Traumatised Children
Child Development
Promoting Independence
If you are working towards Skills Scheme payments, full attendance is needed. If there are issues with this, please seek advice from the Training Development Officer angela.sitoe@sefton.gov.uk
I am struggling to attend the courses because I work
Evening and weekend courses– Sefton Fostering has several evening courses and some weekend courses.
Request to employers– We can provide a letter for your employer to request that they support the Sefton Council corporate parent, and you with your fostering role, to release you for 5 days each year fully paid to attend crucial training. We have had success with many carers supported in this way.
Specialist training– If you have attended training to support your knowledge of your child’s needs, (e.g. specialist health training to peg feed a child, speech or language guidance, training on how to administer medication or treatment) this can be counted within your training hours for the year. Please provide details of the course name, date, trainer name and 3 take home points so this can be included in your record.
Self-directed learning– You may have undertaken learning to explore an area. This can count as learning and development time. You can fill in a learning log. Request a learning log from your supervising social worker or trainingfa@sefton.gov.uk
The Training Hub– Is an online learning platform that Sefton Fostering have bought in to. If you would like an account, this can be set up for you by emailing Trainingfa@sefton.gov.uk. From time to time, account holders receive invitations to attend online training. These are optional courses to provide you with a variety of learning opportunities.
Where can I get support with the workbook?
All foster carers in England and Wales need to complete the Workbook for the Training Support and Development Standards. Carers need to complete them within 12 months for Mainstream families and 18 months for kinship families. New carers can access support from their mentors. If you want help getting started with your workbooks, bi-monthly workshops are available online.
Is there any help with childcare to attend courses?
If you are struggling to attend a course because your fostered child needs caring for, please contact your Supervising Social Worker to look at options. We begin with your support network but there are other options including other carers and Placement Support Workers.
Our Placement Support Workers are available to support attendance at key learning events such as the required events for 2024
- Empathic Behaviour Management
- Building Bonds
These places are allocated on a first come first served basis. You need to book this at least 2 weeks before the course date. Each Mandatory course has one session where Placement Support Workers have devoted time to supporting carers (see course information for details).
I have a family member who wants to attend the courses. Can they?
Of course, those in your support network are welcome to join our training events. The more the merrier. Places on First Aid courses will need to be prioritised for approved carers as attendance is a requirement of their registration.
I am struggling with my child’s behaviour. What is on offer?
Sefton Fostering has a well established and positively received programme for carers to support them to understand their children’s behaviour and parent in a way that responds to their needs.
Introduction to Attachment and Therapeutic Parenting Toolkit– Chris Taylor’s training is three hours long and runs online in the morning 27 March 2024 and in the evening 13 November 2024. It provides therapeutic parenting strategies which nurture attachments.
Therapeutic Parenting for Traumatised Children is delivered by Dr Christina Enright (Child Psychologist) following decades of practice as an attachment and trauma specialist. This programme runs in the evenings for 9 weeks from April to June 2024 or 6 daytime sessions from September to October 2024
Empathic Behaviour Management (NEW) – explores the impact of trauma on children’s behaviour and provide carers with time and support to understand why parenting with Playfulness Acceptance Curiosity and Empathy is life changing for the children they care for and their family.
This course has been commissioned in the acknowledgement that our children are presenting with complex social & emotional needs. This course was developed with staff in residential units in mind. It is being offered to Sefton Fostering to enable our carers to have tools to become/remain well resourced to cope and respond.
Over the five days, carers are encouraged to understand that conflict and disconnection in parenting is a clear indication that it isn’t working and that we are engaging via coercion and force rather than through connection and strength. As parents and carers, unpopular stances have to be made. With EBM reconnection is emphasised (not changing your unpopular viewpoint) as the priority.
The course runs over two weeks at the end of February 2024 and delivered by the Child Psychology Service.
10 week Parenting Programme
Non-Violent Resistance (NVR)– Runs in two blocks in 2024 – January and September
Over the 10 week programme you will be supported to
identify when children are adopting survival responses which are harmful to their wellbeing and the wellbeing of you and your family
break the cycle of shame and silence
learn strategies which help reduce distress for you and the children you care for
learn about taking a firm stance against violence and resistant behaviour
develop strategies to increase your positive influence and presence in your child’s life
Themes for the weekly sessions include de-escalation, raising parental presence, prioritising behaviour, uniting supporters and preparing an announcement, active resistance and communication strategies.
This programme can be accessed by referral only. For advice, contact your Supervising Social Worker/ Training Development Officer angela.sitoe@sefton.gov.uk. For referral information email trainingfa@sefton.gov.uk
Referrals need to be submitted by 3rd November 2023 for January 2024.
Are there any courses around ADHD and Autism?
Neurodiversity and Cared for Children The Educational Psychology service is offering a session based Neurodiversity, diagnoses, how unmet attachment needs can mirror indicators for Autism. Join Dr Emma Barrow for this discussion on 12th September 2024.
Addvanced Solutions are commissioned by Sefton Council to offer support and training for families caring for children who are neurodiverse or presenting with behaviours that mirror neurodiversity.
If your child has an autism diagnosis…a learning programme has been designed to support and empower parents and carers. It develops their understanding of how autism is experienced by children and young people, providing learning, guidance and strategies to better support your child/young person.
The learning programme is split up into different age groups (3-8) (9-13) (14-18) as the issues for these age group vary greatly.
Where no diagnosis is in place (but your child presents with behaviours common with autism, ADHD and sensory processing), Addvanced Solutions have developed a community network. It is a discussion based opportunity to develop your understanding around neurodevelopmental conditions, to ask questions and share learning and experience. These take place online or in person and have sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Book your place direct with Addvanced Solutions. What’s on in Sefton ADDvanced Solutions
I am worried about my child’s mental health. Any courses to help?
Parenting a troubled child can be a very stressful experience. As parents/carers – we often feel an overwhelming need to understand what is going on for our child, and how to support them in the best ways possible. Whilst there are no ‘magic answers’, often knowing a little more about the difficulty your child is facing, and exploring different strategies to support them can be incredibly helpful.
Self-esteem resourceSefton Fostering has purchased elearning courses from Beacon House (Trauma Specialists) to support carers where a child is struggling with low self-esteem. The learning resource, How to Support your Child’s Self-esteem offers a range of practical, realistic, hands-on strategies for how to build your child’s self-esteem. To be sent the code to access the course please email trainingfa@sefton.gov.uk
Bitesize courses– Sefton foster carers are entitled to attend the session developed by Liverpool CAMHS. Many of these training opportunities are bitesize, which means they’re up to one hour in length and are delivered personally online by a mental health professional.
Topics include, managing worry, social media and health, eating disorders, self harm, suicide awareness, safety planning, posttraumatic growth, an introduction to psychosis, resilience, managing challenging conversations, embracing uncertainty, worries of the world, & body image
I am concerned about my child’s activity on-line. Any courses to help?
Helping Children Stay Safe Online Sefton Foster Carer, Angela Bradburn (Foster carer, junior school teacher and Digital Champion) has devised a course – Helping Children Stay Safe Online. This will run during the February Half Term 2024 (13th Feb 10am-12noon) and in the evening in June 2024 (20th Jun 6.30pm-8.30pm). Both sessions are held on Microsoft Teams.
Fostering Digital Skills course has been designed to equip foster carers with the skills and confidence to guide children and young people in their care through the digital world. The four course modules build on the skills and knowledge foster carers already have and show how they can support their child’s safety, confidence and competence online. The course was co-created with help of care experienced young people and foster carers from across the UK. It comes highly recommended. To access the online course search Fostering Digital Skills online learning course
Tailored Resource Pack Internet Matters (the internet and online safety website) have developed a tailored resource pack for you and the children you care for. Answer a few simple questions about your family and receive personalised online safety advice. You can follow the links for https://www.internetmatters.org/digital-family-toolkit/ and Set up devices e-safety checklist
Do you have any courses on Adverse Childhood Experiences?
Sefton Fostering has a 2 day seminar for all its carers on 7 & 14 March ( Day one is in person, Day two online) . See link for further details and the booking form Building Bonds and Breaking Cycles Seminar day 1, 7th March 2024 – Sefton Fostering Service
Liverpool CAMHS offer bite size online courses ACEs and Trauma-Informed Practice (liverpoolcamhs.com) Carers apply to set up a training account and can book direct and then access the training online Training – Liverpool CAMHS
ACES Programmes run by the family hubs network offer information and support – “Sefton Council have developed extensive knowledge and experience of helping people tackle the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, running support programmes focusing on ACEs and recovery.” See link for further details Adverse Childhood Experiences programmes – The Family Hubs Network
