Our foster care training programme is extensive and is tailored to meet the needs of caring for children who may have had a difficult start in life, providing you with advice, information and foster care training courses.
Our strength is our experience in understanding the needs of children and young people in placement and what foster parents can benefit from in terms of training and support.
There are many regulations to which we adhere, but we temper the confines of rules with a complete understanding of the reality of life as a foster parent. To begin with, we do not view any confines as restrictions but as a strong framework that supports our underlying belief that all youngsters deserve the best that society can offer and provide to them.
We created an atmosphere that underlies the training and support Excel provides. It is of immense pride to us to be able to have our vision transformed into an environment where children are cherished, and their carers valued. We have all the support and resources you need to be ready to become a foster carer, and we have access to a number of local venues that ensure we can deliver local training and advice and you never have to travel too far, as well as a responsive network of social workers across the area who are always on hand to answer your questions.
Our programme is extensive and is tailored to meet the needs of caring for children who have had a difficult start in life. It is designed to create a full-service series to complement or enhance your natural abilities. You will learn how we operate as well as how we can best utilise your skills. This is how we bond with, and thrive on, our interactive relationship.
Development of your skills is a fundamental stage in becoming a carer with Excel Fostering. We understand that each carer has his or her own specific set of skills and experiences, but we also recognise the importance of specialist education and how this can benefit our potential and existing families.
All potential carers will go through a preparation and assessment process, where they will attend group sessions, learning about the types of needs that children who come in to care may have. Regular visits will also be made by an assigned social worker, who will provide support through the application process.
Once a person becomes a part of our team, it does not mean an end to ongoing support and training. All foster parents work with their assigned social worker and are reviewed to ensure that any further training needs are identified. Excel Fostering has a range of courses aimed at equipping potential or existing carers with the tools and skills needed to be the very best carer they can be. Our desire is to provide whatever is required that can help the carer to cope with any obstacles in their path.
Here are some examples of the courses that we currently provide:
We have a team of committed staff who are here to provide you with the information and advice you need. Please get in touch with us today to find out more about the options available to you and how you can become a foster carer.
The Skills to Foster course is offered to all new foster carers and generally runs over two or three sessions. The course provide you with the opportunity to meet members of our staff team along with foster carers who are already foster with Excel. You’ll learn about what’s involved in looking after children who are in care and have the opportunity to learn with others who are making an application to become a foster carer.
The Skills to Foster course covers the following areas:
As a registered foster carer, you will be invited to attend training each year. This training will cover areas such as:
We also have more specialised training for carers who:
Fostering Changes will provide you with the skills and knowledge to manage difficult and challenging child behaviour. The course helps to identify positive change and helps greatly in improving long-term outcomes for children and young people who may have experienced trauma.
Fostering Changes training is available to all foster carers and is a pre-requisute for carers working within our MATTs (Multi-disciplinary Assessment Treatment & Therapy) Therapeutic Fostering Framework.
The training is delivered in-house by social workers and is a course supported by DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families).
The course will delivers practical skills and advice to you to help you with behaviour identification and management. This is an essential course to support the longevity and stability of placements.
The foster care support offered to our carers is the most important factor to successful placements.
The elements of the support for foster carers includes:
Find out about the benefits of fostering with Excel and get in touch with a member of our helpful team today.
If you’ve got any questions or would like to find out more about fostering with Excel Fostering, fill out the form below.
An experienced fostering advisor from your local area will then be in touch.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.
