Foster care training
The Foster Care service offer a comprehensive training pathway for foster carers. This will help carers to develop a diverse skill set.
Types of training
Mandatory training
Once you are approved as a foster carer, there are several courses that must be completed. These include First Aid and Record Keeping.
Core training
These courses are central to your professional development as foster carers. It is expected that all foster carers complete these courses, but the timescales are relatively flexible.
Specialist training
We are also offer specialist courses that cover a wide range of topics relating to children, young people, and fostering in general.
Upcoming training
All dates are for 2025.
| Course Name | Type | Venue | Date | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Story Work, Identity and Making Memories | Core | Civic Centre | 22-Oct-25 | 10am | 2.30pm |
| Foster carer support - Are you missing out - Local SEND offer | Specialist | Virtual | 4 November 2025 | 10am | 11.30am |
| Safer Caring and Allegations 2 DAY (FULLY BOOKED) | Mandatory | Virtual | 5 November 2025 | 10am | 12pm |
| Adoption Transition Refresher | Specialist | Virtual | 11 November 2025 | 10am | 11am |
| Introduction to Attachment Trauma and Child Development | Mandatory | Virtual | 12 November 2025 | 10am | 12pm |
| First Aid for Foster Carers (FULLY BOOKED) | Mandatory | Civic Centre | 15 November 2025 | 9.30am | 4.30pm |
| Family Time & Working with Birth Parents | Core | Virtual | 18 November 2025 | 6pm | 8.30pm |
| Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online | Core | Virtual | 19 November 2025 | 10am | 2.30pm |
| Adoption Transition Refresher | Specialist | Virtual | 25 November 2025 | 1pm | 2pm |
| Role of the PA and Pathway Planning | Specialist | Virtual | 26 November 2025 | 12pm | 1.30pm |
| Children who go Missing from Home and Care | Specialist | Virtual | 2 December 2025 | 7pm | 8pm |
| One Stop Virtual School Shop - SEND Q&A | Specialist | Virtual | 3 December 2025 | 12am | 12.45pm |
| Introduction to Safeguarding | Mandatory | Virtual | 12 January 2026 | 10am | 12.30pm |
| QA - Meet the Neurodiversity Team | Specialist | Virtual | 15 January 2026 | 10.30am | 11.30am |
| Record Keeping/Writing to the Child | Mandatory | Virtual | 19 January 2026 | 6pm | 7.30pm |
| QA - Meet the Neurodiversity Team | Specialist | Virtual | 20 January 26 | 12apm | 1pm |
| First Aid for Foster Carers | Mandatory | Civic Centre | 2 February 2026 | 9.30am | 4pm |
| First Aid for Foster Carers | Mandatory | Civic Centre | 25 March 2026 | 9.30am | 4pm |
Bookings
Please discuss with your allocated supervising social worker before booking any training. Make requests by email at training.support@southampton.gov.uk.
Please ensure you supply a unique email address for each foster carer requested.
eLearning for foster carers via MyLearning platform
- Autism - Developing Understanding and Implementing Practical Approaches
- Brain Development & Attachment
- Change and Moving On
- Child And Adolescent Development
- Children and Young People Safeguarding Refresher for Staff Providing Family Support and Interventions (Mandatory or offered via Fostering Training officer)
- Contextual Safeguarding Awareness
- Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment (CSAFE)
- Information Governance - Data Protection & Freedom of Information including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Introduction To Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
- Learning Disability Level 1
- Learning Disability Level 2
- Missing, Exploited, Trafficked (MET)
- Parenting Styles
- Raising Awareness of Prevent (Mandatory)
- Restorative Practice Awareness Level 1
- Safe Sleep
- Understanding Trauma
For any queries regarding your MyLearning platform login details, please email training.support@southampton.gov.uk.
Building Connections: Through Therapeutic Parenting
A group for carers of children who have experienced trauma – adapted from Kim Golding’s Foundations of Attachment Training. Service provided in collaboration with Southampton City Council, Hampshire, and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The 10-week skills and experiential group is for foster carers of children and young people who have been affected by traumatic experiences. These experiences may lead to them struggling to form long-lasting, stable relationships. The group uses psycho-education and dyadic developmental psychotherapy-informed (DDP) therapeutic parenting. It uses this to explore and think about the impact of traumatic experiences on children, young people, and their carers.
The aim is for carers to be able to help a child or young person feel safer and begin to recover from trauma. Another aim is to gain insight into how trauma can drive some of their behaviour. That behaviour can often be challenging for others. Carers will learn about approaches that increase safety whilst decreasing feelings like shame, low self-worth, and hopelessness. Those feelings may also drive challenging behaviour.
With support, children and young people can recover from the harm caused by trauma. The group is designed to help foster carers to understand the different kinds of impact trauma can have on their child or young person’s development. It aims to help those carers develop responses that can support change and support children and young people.
What subjects are covered in the group?
- Attachment theory
- The effect of traumatic experiences on brain development
- Understanding behaviour as communication
- What may lie behind your child’s anger
- Understanding and managing controlling behaviour
- Understanding blocked care and blocked trust
- Looking after yourself
What time are the sessions at?
Please aim to arrive at 9.45am. The sessions run from 10am to 1pm.
Where are the sessions held?
Cutbush Family Hub, Cutbush Lane, Southampton, SO18 2GF.
When are the sessions? Do I need to attend each one?
The programme follows a clear structure - it is important that you do your best not to miss any of the weeks. All dates are for Thursdays in 2025:
- 25 September
- 2 October
- 9 October
- 16 October
- 23 October
- 6 November
- 13 November
- 20 November
- 17 November
- 4 December
Useful links
FosterTalk
FosterTalk is an independent, not-for-profit organisation providing high quality professional advice and guidance to all foster carers.
Find out more about FosterTalk.
Mockingbird
Mockingbird is an evidence-based model structure where groups of foster carers support each other, with a hub carer to co-ordinate activities, meetings, and respite care.
Find out more about Mockingbird.
New Family Social
New Family Social is a UK charity who provide support for LGBTQ+ families with fostering and adoption. We can offer you their free gold membership if you are being assessed or are approved as a foster carer.
Find out more about New Family Social.
