Training

The Training Working Group is responsible for implementing Action 6 from We can and Must Do Better, focusing on improving training for parents, foster carers, residential workers, teachers - including teachers in training - social workers, health workers and appointed lead professionals.

Training and development for social work professionals

Workforce development is also one of the programmes under the Changing Lives strategy - a five-year plan of change for all aspects of social work,which started in June 2006.

The Changing Lives Workforce Programme will support recruitment, retention and development to ensure that the right number of practitioners with the right skills and support are available in the social work sector in the future.

Training and development for foster carers

The implementation of the national strategy for foster care - Getting it right for every child in kinship and foster care - has established a reference group led by British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) and The Fostering Network to assess the training needs of foster carers, review the current provision and make proposals for improvement.

Training framework

The Training Working Group is developing ways of incorporating awareness of the needs of looked after children and young people into initial training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for a range of professionals who work with children. 

It is developing an information, learning and training framework for key stakeholders about the education of looked after children and young people, and care leavers. 

The framework will consider what is currently and what should be available for the stakeholder groups in relation to general information, initial training, CPD and specialist training.

Revision of the Learning with Care materials

One of the key tasks for the Training Working Group is the revision of the Learning With Care training materials. These practical training materials were produced to support the findings of the Learning With Care report, and include:

• self evaluation indicators.
• a comprehensive training pack for foster carers, residential workers, teachers and social workers.
• a video outlining the views of looked after children and young people.
• an information booklet for foster carers, residential workers, teachers and social workers.

The materials provide an ideal multi-disciplinary training opportunity for teachers, social workers, foster carers, residential workers and other relevant professionals working with looked after children and young people. They have been used extensively, although not consistently, across Scotland.

The Scottish Government contracted the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care in partnership with British Association for Adoption and Fostering and the University of Strathclyde, to fully revise the training materials into an interactive and flexible training CD-ROM/DVD, published in 2008.