An introduction to private fostering

This course is an opportunity to explore the legal and practice framework of private fostering, including thinking about how to identify and work with this often unseen group of children. It will include explanation of the respective responsibilities of parents, private foster carers and local authorities, when private fostering arrangements are made. Since the war in Ukraine, some Ukrainian children who have travelled to the UK for safety, are living in private fostering arrangements, and this introductory course will also briefly explore their needs.

Cultural competence involves ensuring our attitudes, communication and behaviours recognise and respect cultural differences. As social workers, in whatever our role, it’s essential we are continually working towards cultural competence in our practice. In this open course, you will be supported to explore some of the key concepts within cultural competence and anti-oppressive practice, and then apply this learning to your practice. It will include exploration of how personal and professional identities can impact on the decisions we make in our professional roles.

This course will consider the foster carer's key role in providing parent and child arrangements and ensuring successful outcomes for children. It will also provide clarity about the role of the agency and the supervising social worker in monitoring, reviewing, evaluating and supporting foster carers, whilst making certain that practice is transparent and compliant with the law.

This open course aims to give new and recently appointed fostering and adoption panel members an opportunity to develop their role as effective panel members and to consider the tasks and responsibilities involved. This will be within the context of the current legislative framework and emerging messages from research.

The objects around us are intertwined with our feelings and experiences. Exploring our relationship with objects can help us tell our stories and give us a greater understanding of other people and ourselves.

The role of the supervising social worker has many facets, involving managerial, supervisory, educative and support functions. This course provides supervising social workers the opportunity to develop their practice and confidence in these areas. It will include a review their role and responsibilities in relation to foster carers and promote the development of best practice.