Personal Development Plans

Current Fostering National Minimum Standard 20.5 requires that foster carers’ personal development plans set out how they will be supported to undertake ongoing training and development that is appropriate to their development needs and experience. These standards also (NMS 20.6) require that the reviews of each foster carer’s approval include an appraisal of performance against […]

Existentialism and Responsibility for Your Actions

Training group

Existentialism is a radical philosophy which takes our life issues as its central focus. From an existentialism perspective despite people being in this world without their prior consent – it’s up to us to create our life’s meaning. According to Sartre, ‘existence precedes essence’ it means that people don’t have any predetermined purpose why they […]

Reflective learning from lived experience

There’s always new knowledge, beliefs, values and skills for learners to acquire and this in turn may also result in learners having to unlearn older knowledge or skills. This means that unlearning may involve going back (reflecting) to where you were before you have learnt whatever you are now unlearning. You may well then think […]

Online Safety

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Online safety In online environments and when using technology such as computers, mobile phones or games consoles – online safety  is an essential element of safeguarding children and young people as well as vulnerable adults. Online safety is not about restricting children/young people and vulnerable adults use of technology or banning access as this may […]

Supervised Child Contact

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Supervised child contact usually takes place when a child has or is likely to suffer harm. Supervised contact should ensure the safety of a child or children having contact; it also assists in building and sustaining positive relationships between a child and members of their non-resident family.   Potentially, supervised child contact can be intrusive, […]

Introduction to Attachment Theory

Attachment theory was devised by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby. Within attachment theory, infant behaviour associated with attachment is primarily the seeking of (Close) proximity to an attachment figure in stressful situations; the caregiver. Attachment theory suggests that Infants become attached to adults who are sensitive and responsive in social interactions with them, and who […]

Levels of qualifications attained makes a difference

The lower a young adult’s qualifications, the more likely they are to not be in employment but wanting paid work. For example, around a 25% of all people aged 25 to 29 with no GCSEs at grade C or above were not in employment but wanted paid work in 2010. This compares to around 7% of those with […]

Children in Care Need Male Care workers Too!

Male care workers can often be the first positive male role models that children have met, and play a vital role. But male care workers can face their own challenges in roles traditionally considered to be mainly carried out by women. Children in Care invariably bring a history of their relationships with males to fostering and […]

The Fostering Network the State of the Nation’s foster care survey (2016)

The Fostering Network the State of the Nation’s foster care survey (2016) – What foster carers think and feel about fostering is now available. The Fostering Network research involved in total 2,530 foster carers from across the UK completed the survey online: 1,942 of these fostered in England, 359 in Scotland, 122 in Wales and […]

Giving advice and information, to young people, about substance misuse risk taking

Make sure you understand enough about drugs and substance misuse, including why children might experiment with them, so you can talk to children and young people in an informed way. For foster carers understanding the facts about drugs may also help you to: promote the care plan needs of Children in Care contribute to children’s risk assessments inform […]