Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care

The Training, Support and Development Standards (TSDS) for foster care are a set of standards that all foster carers in England must meet within the first 12 months of their approval and form part of your induction in the fostering role. They are referenced within the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services 2011. The Training, Support and Development Standards are part of a national strategy, supported by the Department for Education, to raise the profile of foster carers as valued professionals and to improve and standardise service provision for children looked after. They are designed to ensure that foster carers have the knowledge, skills and support they need to provide high quality care for children and young people.

There are seven Training, Support and Development Standards for foster carers:

• Standard 1: Understand the principles and values essential for fostering children and young people;
• Standard 2: Understand your role as a foster carer;
• Standard 3: Understand health and safety, and healthy caring;
• Standard 4: Know how to communicate effectively;
• Standard 5: Understand the development of children and young people;
• Standard 6: Safeguard children and young people;
• Standard 7: Promote positive outcomes for children and young people in foster care.

Foster carers must fill in a workbook to show evidence of meeting the Training, Support and Development Standards. There are different workbooks for different fostering types. Your workbook can be downloaded here.

When completing the Training, Support and Development Standards, your knowledge and skills can be assessed from:

• Observations
  from meetings or professional discussion you may have had in supervision;
• Written evidence
  A piece of reflective writing, a daily log, reports, email, supervision record, written feedback from professionals you work with or certificates.

We recognise that the completion of the Training, Support and Development Standards is a comprehensive but equally important task and therefore feel it is essential for you to receive support. Please liaise with your supervising social worker if you would like guidance from an experienced foster carer or one of our Fostering Resource workers. We also offer monthly workshops that focus on each standard and are facilitated by one of our supervising social workers. It is not necessary for foster carers to repeat their learning and development simply to meet the TSDS. Foster carers who hold other relevant qualifications will likely have lots of evidence that can be transferred and referenced to meet the Training, Support and Development Standards.

Every section will be signed off by your Supervising Social Worker and their manager. You will receive a certificate to demonstrate the successful completion of the Training, Support and Development Standards.