Knowing where to report concerns about unsafe practice by otherprofessionals and how to raise concerns about a child's safety are someof the skills foster carers need to be trained in during their first twoyears in post.
The Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care cover arange of topics from keeping children safe from harm to knowing how tocommunicate effectively.
They aim to give foster carers the skills to help them look afterchildren in their care and fall into seven categories.
Jane Haywood, chief executive of the Children's Workforce DevelopmentCouncil, which developed the standards, said they were compiled becausethere was inconsistency in the training of foster carers.
She said: "The standards will make it clear to new foster carers whatthey need to know and understand to do their job."
To achieve the training, carers must show their care relates to the fiveoutcomes outlined in Every Child Matters which state children must behealthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution andachieve economic wellbeing.
They must also help a child maintain contact with their family,effectively communicate with their supervising social worker, encourageand support children in their education and understand how children formattachments.
To ensure the safeguarding of children, the standards say foster carersmust know who the designated child protection worker is at a child'sschool and understand the ways children can be put at risk throughphysical abuse, neglect and domestic violence.
Robert Tapsfield, the Fostering Network's chief executive, said thestandards were a big step towards increasing the skills andprofessionalism of the foster care workforce.
The standards will not provide a formal qualification, but can be usedtowards the Health and Social Care NVQ.
Tapsfield said: "What we now have laid out is very clear commonexpectations on the training requirements for foster carers in theirfirst two years.
"The challenge for local authorities and independent fostering agenciesis to implement the training requirements in a way that meets the needsof their foster care workforce."
The CWDC has also published guides for foster carers and managers'social workers and trainers.
- www.cwdcouncil.org.uk.
