Foster Care Training With Swiis

Fostering is a rewarding career and we will help you develop your knowledge and skills to become an exceptional carer. Swiis want to give you the opportunity to make the best impact possible on the children you look after.

Fostering with Confidence

We are committed to providing our foster carers with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills through a comprehensive, varied programme of training as well as access to regular local workshops and support groups.

Child-centred philosophy

Partnership approach

Support for carers

The value of education

Continuous improvement

SQA Assessment Centre

In 2011, Swiis became approved as an SQA Assessment Centre. The Learning and Development Team now deliver the Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) Social Services 3 (Children & Young People Award) to our foster carers. This award provides our foster carers with an excellent opportunity to gain a recognised qualification which evidences the knowledge, skills and practice they continue to develop through their experiences in their fostering role.

Swiis has an SVQ Assessor who provides those foster carers undertaking their award with individual support. Our foster carers who have started or completed their award consistently state how much more confident they have become and how the experience has benefited them as foster carers.

The latter tends to be aimed more at older children who are able to go and volunteer in an organisation of their interest. Over the years since becoming approved for these awards, they have become immensely popular with our young people who enjoy participating in them. The receipt of the accredited awards is a great confidence boost to them all.

Your Training Programme With Swiis

Swiis’ Pre-approval Training

‘Skills to Foster’ is our preparation training package for prospective foster carers and provides you with up to three days of mandatory training, prior to and during the assessment process. This programme covers every aspect of the role of a foster carer and is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed in your role as a foster carer.

Day 1 of Training. Day 1 training serves as an introduction to fostering and Swiis Foster Care Scotland. This is delivered following a successful telephone interview and after the Initial Home Visit process has been completed. The training is provided to you prior to the assessment commencing and is pivotal in ensuring that you fully understand the fostering role and what this will mean to you and your family before the assessment begins.
Days 2 and 3 of Training. Delivered either before or approximately half way through the assessment process. These sessions focus on a range of subjects and encourage you to further explore the fostering task and deepen your understanding of some of the challenges faced by children looked after. It will also cover your role in ensuring successful outcomes for children and young people in your care and the support available to you from Swiis.

Post-approval Training

Following your approval to become a foster carer, you will complete 5 mandatory training sessions covering 8 core elements:

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Culture, Diversity and Equality Awareness

Understanding Attachment

Understanding Challenging Behaviour

Safer Care and Managing Allegations

First Aid

Child Development

Recording

All above core training is linked to the Health and Social Care Standards.

The frequency of the training is dependent on the skills of the carer and type of training. Some training is undertaken two yearly whereas some is required only every 3 years.

Additional specialist training including accredited Awards such as SVQ level 3 Social Services (Children and Young People) are provided to support foster carers who work with or have a desire to support challenging placements, placements with complex health needs, disability placements or specialist parent and child placements.

96.5%

PLACEMENT STABILITY OVER 6 YEARS

98.3%

THE AVERAGE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OF SWIIS CARED-FOR CHILDREN DURING 2016-2017

92%

OF CHILDREN ACHIEVE OR EXCEED EXPECTED OUTCOMES IN RELATION TO THEIR HEALTH

Start Your Fostering Journey

With thousands of children coming into foster care in the UK everyday, we urgently need foster carers more than ever.

Enquire Now

Refer a Friend

Do you know anyone who would be a fantastic foster carer who has the skills and compassion to support a child or young person in need of a loving home?

Receive £3,000