Fostering training, support and allowances

We offer a comprehensive training pathway to our foster carers so that you can continue to develop a diverse skill set, to help you be the best foster carer you can.

We recognise that foster carers have different and changing needs, depending on their personal circumstances, preferences and family situations, so we offer a hybrid approach to training delivery (in person and virtual) where possible, which enables our foster carers to attend more courses, more regularly.

Training courses available:

Skills to Foster

An introductory three-day course to prepare you for your journey into fostering. This course is held in-person and is to be completed prior to approval.

Mandatory training

Once you are approved as a foster carer, there are a number of courses that must be completed, these include First Aid and Record Keeping.

There are timescales for the completion of these courses and some will need to be renewed.

Core training

These courses are central to your professional development as foster carers. We expect all of our foster carers to complete these courses, but the timescales are relatively flexible. Examples of courses include Secondary Trauma, Solihull Approach and Education Matters.

Specialist training

We are also offer specialist courses that cover a wide range of topics relating to children, young people and fostering in general. Attendance at these training sessions will be dependent on your own interests, the age of children you foster and the type of fostering you provide now or wish to provide in the future.

Courses include Adolescence, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, and Emotion Coaching.

Additional topics are always being sourced to add to the range and depth of foster carer training.

Allowances are payments that cover the day-to-day costs of looking after a foster child.

You will receive a weekly allowance to cover maintenance, pocket money, clothing and travel for your foster child. The amount is dependent on the age of the child and number of children you look after.

You may be entitled to be paid an extra allowance depending on your experience. Gaining experience and completing training courses give you the opportunity to become a  level two or level three carer meaning you would be eligible for an additional skill fee payment.

For more information and a breakdown of allowances and payments please see our allowances and skills fees document.

Foster carers should register as self-employed with HM Revenue and Customs. Find out more about tax arrangements.

We offer our foster carers excellent support, including:

• An experienced, allocated Supervising Social Worker who will help and encourage you every step of the process, making sure you have everything you need to give a child or young person, and your family, a positive experience. They will understand the statutory process
• Our Supervising and Children’s Social Workers work closely together in the office so you will have direct access to them when you need to communicate about the needs of the children in your care
• High level support from an office-based Duty Worker, as well as access to an ‘out of hours’ team
• Competitive weekly allowance as well as Child Holiday Allowance, Child Birthday Allowance, Christmas/Festivities Allowance and additional mileage
• Access to social care e-Learning and a full schedule of fostering-related training and workshops with experienced staff. This is held both on-line and in-person
• Access to Local Authority Virtual School and education interventions
• We launched Mockingbird, developed by The Fostering Network, in November 2024 and will gradually be rolling this out across our foster carers. 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
• Membership of FosterTalk - You will become a member of FosterTalk, an independent not-for-profit organisation providing high quality professional advice and guidance to all foster carers. Find out more about FosterTalk
• Membership of New Family Social - As we are an Agency member of New Family Social, 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
• Support from Building Bridges, family intervention support and clinical psychologists
• Invitation to placement support meetings, to include management and stability meetings, to identify where additional support is needed to sustain/support a placement
• Access to support from sessional workers
• Membership of the Southampton Foster Carers’ Association, a registered charity, which hosts regular events and activities including a Christmas party and summer bike ride
• Quarterly Fostering Forums - Held online and in person. A chance to meet and talk with the Fostering Senior Leadership Team and have your views heard
• A Therapeutic Support Group – Weekly morning session where foster carers can share and reflect on specific challenges and gain support
• Monthly foster carer coffee morning at a city centre coffee shop – Join other foster carers and the team for a chat, and the chance to share ideas and experiences over coffee and cake!
• Monthly Connected Carers coffee morning at a city centre coffee shop – Join other Connected Carers and the team for a chat, and the chance to share ideas and experiences over coffee and cake!
• Monthly fun singing ‘Rhyme Time’ session at a local library for foster carers and young children
• Use of the Equipment Store – Foster carers may borrow equipment such as cots, buggies, stairgates etc.