Training & Support

At Oak Fostering, support isn’t an add-on – it’s at the heart of everything we do. While many agencies talk about support, we make sure ours is practical, personal, and built around the needs of every child and fostering family.

Support That’s Personal, Not Just a Phone Line

Our carers are never left to face challenges alone. What makes our support different is that it comes from people who know you and the child in your care.

Every member of our team – from Managers and Admin staff to Social Workers and Outreach Workers – has experience working directly with children who have faced trauma. We understand behaviours, triggers, attachment difficulties, and the unique needs of Looked After Children.

When you call, you’ll speak to someone who knows your situation and can offer helpful, informed advice. And if a situation becomes difficult, we don’t stop at phone support – we come out to you.

Women on the phone in an office
People in an events room looking at a screen

Building a Network of Support

As an Oak Fostering Carer, you’re part of a professional team. You’ll have access to:

  • Regular supervision with a qualified Social Worker
  • Support groups where you can share experiences and strategies with other carers
  • Informal networks and social events for peer-to-peer support
  • 24/7 emergency assistance from people you know and trust

This connected approach ensures you’re never isolated and children benefit from continuity, stability, and a caring network around them.

Specialist Training

We believe that supporting children who have experienced trauma requires more than basic training. That’s why our carers receive:

  • Initial training to prepare you for your first placement, Roots to Foster.
  • Specialist therapeutic training to help you understand and respond to challenging behaviours
  • Ongoing professional development through workshops, courses, and reflective practice sessions
  • Access to therapeutic consultants for advice on specific situations or behaviours

We equip you with the skills and confidence to provide a safe, nurturing, and therapeutic environment for every child in your care.

Request A Call Back

If you are unsure if you will be suitable for the role – just ask us by requesting a call back and we can talk you through the whole process.

Why Our Support Works

When carers feel supported, children thrive. With the right guidance and training, you’ll be able to help children:

  • Feel safe and understood
  • Build trust and positive relationships
  • Recover from trauma
  • Develop and flourish

That’s why we put so much into ensuring you’re never facing the fostering journey alone.

We believe on-call should mean more than just a phone line. Our out-of-hours support is delivered by people who know your family and, when needed, will come to you in person – not just talk you through it remotely.

Respite is not a term we like to use and it is certainly never used around children, however it is a commonly used term to describe rest breaks and so we use it in describing the rest periods we offer our carers.

Attachment is a key issue for the children placed with Oak Fostering carers and therefore time away from their carers has to be handled sensitively. However we do recognise the importance of rest periods and encourage carers to make good use of the rest periods we provide. We identify and introduce sleepover carers to gradually get to know the child and main carer. This is only agreed if in the best interest of the child and after they have been placed for a minimum of 3 months.

Once it is agreed that it is right to begin sleepovers, all carers are provided with up to two nights per month and this does not affect carers Foster Carer Fee. These breaks are planned in advance and will involve the child staying with known and regular carers to provide continuity. In addition to these monthly sleepovers, carers can request up to 5 nights break per year. Any breaks have to be based around the needs of the child in placement.

Oak Fostering carers are required to undertake regular formal training as part of their ongoing development. We place huge importance on this and feel that carers being equipped with skills, knowledge and ideas is a key way of sustaining placements. We also respect our carers as professionals and are therefore keen to support their development with a variety of courses and qualifications.

Throughout the assessment process and subsequent reviews, carers and their Supervising Social Workers will have identified training and support needs and these will be pulled through into an annual performance and development plan. The plan is individual to the carer and the family but will cover mandatory training and further training that allows carers to best meet the needs of the child placed in their care.

In addition the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care (TSD) must be completed within the first 12 months of carer’s approval. Supervising Social Workers will assist carers in completion of the TSD standards and in supervisions they will ask for details of the progress being made towards completion; whilst support is given we will expect that carers can work independently and keep to timescales.

We have also invested in NVQ programmes and encourage carers to work towards recognised qualifications, further enhancing their skills and professional practice.

For People Thinking About Fostering

It’s okay to just be curious. Many of our carers started by simply finding out more.

  • Not sure if fostering is for you? Download our free info pack and read it in your own time.
  • Want to talk it through? Book a no-pressure call with our team.

We’ll answer questions like:

  • Do foster carers get paid?
  • What training will I receive?
  • Can I foster if I have pets or children of my own?
  • How does matching work?

Download our free info pack and read it in your own time.

Book a no-pressure call with our team.

Fostering Changes Lives, Including Yours.

Becoming a foster carer with Oak Fostering means joining a community that’s committed to giving children a safe, stable home, and supporting you every step of the way.

Need to speak to us or have any questions? Fill out the form below and we will get in touch!