West Sussex - Safer Caring for Foster Carers
About the Training
These training webinars set out the purpose and importance of Safer Care plans as a key element in the care that Foster carers provide. We looked at the purpose and function of Safer Care plans for foster carers as key professionals and also spent time reflecting on the importance of safer care in providing stability and predictability and why this is essential for children and young people who have experienced difficult life journeys and traumatic experiences.
Who attended:
Foster carers offering a wide range of fostering placements including Parent and child placements, Emergency, Short and Long term have brought a range of diverse experiences to these sessions. Carers particularly value the wealth of experience that Carers bring to the sessions. Having carers at varying stages of their fostering journeys (from 6 months to 20years) provides an opportunity to share knowledge and skills develop these important networks of support further.
Learning Experience
How was the training delivered?
In recognition of the various commitments that foster carers have, all sessions are delivered virtually and within hours of the school day.
We use a variety of methods of delivery through the course including practical activities, video’s, break out rooms and whole group discussions to ensure that learners are actively involved in the session and the material is delivered in a variety of ways to maximise learner engagement and keep it interesting.
Outcomes and Impact
What were the key achievements?
Many learners have described that attending the course has lead to them updating their own Safer care plans and increasing the detail of these plans.
Learners have fed back that attending the course has helped them to appreciate the function and importance of having a safer care plan in offering reassurance and structure to the young people they share their lives with.
More than 60 foster carers have accessed this training since April 2025 which is great to see!
Learner Feedback:
· “Thanks as always for taking the time to invest in to me and other foster carers so we can be great at looking after our brilliant young people.”
· “I think refreshing the importance of a Safer caring plan for everyone involved and the importance of self care will be something to take forward”
· “I think refreshing the importance of a Safer caring plan for everyone involved and the importance of self care will be something to take forward”
· “It will improve the life of the people I care for by making sure I have an up to date knowledge and great level of experience in this”