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Career progression for foster carers

Our foster carers are professionals who make a real difference to the lives of Herefordshire's children and young people every day. To support them, we offer structured career progression to guide their development.

This career pathway gives them the choice to enhance their skills, assist children with more complex needs and receive higher fostering fees in recognition of their expertise.

Our fostering levels

Level 1

Newly approved foster carers start at level 1. These carers will have completed the Skills to Foster preparation course during the assessment, learning the fundamentals of supporting children in care.

Level 1 foster carers need to complete at least the minimum four pieces of mandatory training in their first year of fostering. These courses cover:

  • Safeguarding children
  • Paediatric first aid
  • Diversity and equality
  • Keeping data safe and GDPR

Carers will also need to complete the government's Training and Development Standards (TSD) workbook. These standards evidence that carers are providing the required level of care. General foster carers need to complete this within 12 months of being approved, kinship foster carers have 18 months to complete this.

Level 2

Progressing to level 2 takes a minimum of 12 months after approval. Foster carers have to meet the training requirements of level 1 and have completed the TSD workbook.

Within your first year of approval, you'll have your first annual review, which involves returning to fostering panel. This review considers how your first year of fostering has been and whether the requirements for moving to level 2 have been met.

Level 2 carers will take additional training and apply this to their practice with children and young people. All foster carers are required to complete a minimum of four training/learning activities per year.

Our bespoke, local training offers a range of courses to upskill carers, including:

  • Supporting children in education and transitions
  • Child development, trauma and attachment
  • Foundations for Attachment

Level 3

As well as meeting the requirements of level 2, level 3 carers must demonstrate a further commitment to training, supporting children with more complex needs, assisting the fostering service, and helping other carers within our fostering community.

Level 3 carers will:

  • Collaborate effectively with partners throughout the council and beyond to support the children in their care
  • Be able to reflect and adapt their caring styles to suit changing situations
  • Provide stability for children who have experienced trauma and present with complex behaviour
  • Demonstrate an exemplary commitment to training and development, including completing the Foundations for Attachment course

Specialist

In addition to the requirements of all previous levels, specialist foster carers will have:

  • Significant experience of supporting vulnerable children with complex needs and managing challenging behaviours
  • The time to commit to intensively supporting children and young people
  • An understanding of the importance of attachments, impact of trauma and the ability to parent therapeutically
  • The ability to reflect and adapt to the changing needs of the children they support
  • A commitment to ongoing specialist training and development

Further details about our specialist fostering scheme.

How foster carers progress

Foster carers can progress to levels 3 and specialist by completing the relevant application forms, which will then be considered by the fostering service managers.

Decisions on progression will be made by the Service Manager following a discussion with the foster carer's Social Worker and the Team Manager. The views of other professionals who have been responsible for the children supported by the foster carer in the prior 12 months will also be taken into account.

Can I transfer in at a higher level?

If you feel that you have the skills and expertise to be considered as a specialist carer, we welcome applications from those who are interested in fostering and those who currently foster with other agencies.

How we support our foster carers

Hear Paul talk about career progression and support from Herefordshire Council.