Nottinghamshire Fostering Scheme - Levels Payments and Training
Scope of this chapter
This chapter details the Fostering Scheme, Payment for Skills Scheme, which aims to ensure that children and young people are looked after by foster carers who have the experience, skills, and training necessary to meet their needs.
It also covers the payment levels linked to the scheme and the specific tasks that are expected of the foster carer.
Relevant Regulations
Fostering National Minimum Standards 2011, Standard 28
Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010
Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers
Amendment
The Nottinghamshire Fostering Scheme, levels payments and fostering training offer September 2000. The scheme aims to ensure that children and young people are looked after by foster carers who have the experience, skills, and training necessary to meet the needs of children and young people in their care.
In compliance with National Minimum Standards for Foster Care 2011, Nottinghamshire Fostering Service will ensure:
- Foster carers receive the training and development they need to carry out their role effectively.
- This includes a clear framework of training and development that is used as the basis for assessing foster carers' performance and identifying their training and development needs. For each review period, there will be an ongoing development plan that is completed with foster carers by their supervising social worker to support their care of the children/young people in their care and their development (Post-approval training Nottinghamshire County Council)
- As part of The National Minimum Standards, Nottinghamshire Fostering Service offers training to all its foster carers around the following areas: -All foster carers receive training in positive care and control of children, including training in de-escalating problems and disputes. The fostering service has a clear written policy on managing behaviour, which includes supporting positive behaviour, de-escalation of conflicts and discipline. The fostering service's policy is made clear to the responsible authority/placing authority, child and parent/s or carers before the placement begins or, in an emergency placement, at the time of the placement (NMS 2011, 3.8 also see Promoting Positive Behaviour (fosteringhandbook.com))
- Foster carers are trained in appropriate safer-care practice, including skills to care for children who have been abused. For foster carers who offer placements to disabled children, this includes training specifically on issues affecting disabled children (NMS 2011, 4.6), also see Developing a Safer Caring Plan (fosteringhandbook.com))
- Foster carers receive sufficient training on health and hygiene issues and first aid, with particular emphasis on health promotion and communicable diseases (NMS, 2011, 6.7)
- Foster carers receive guidance and training to provide appropriate care if looking after children with complex health needs (NMS, 2011, 6.8)
- The fostering service ensures there are comprehensive arrangements for preparing and supporting young people to make the transition to independence. This includes appropriate training and support to foster carers caring for young people who are approaching adulthood. Arrangements are consistent with the young person's care plan, including their placement plan, pathway plan and transition plan for children with disabilities and special educational needs (NMS 2011, 12.3)
The key principles of levels payments are to:
- Recognise and reward carers for their skills and experience;
- Ensure children and young people are not 'labelled' in order that increased payments will be made;
- Ensure that specific tasks to be undertaken by the foster carer are identified;
- Identify necessary resources and placement supports at an early stage;
- Provide carers with the training and learning opportunities to help them develop their skills and be recognised for their development.
Approval at the different levels will depend on:
- The carer's core skills, which will be met via the completion of training via Nottinghamshire County Council's Training Pathway;
- The length of experience as an approved foster carer.
A carer will receive a fee, a "level's allowance", linked to their level of approval, whenever a child or young person is placed with them. Nottinghamshire's Training Pathway aims to guide foster carers to progress through the levels if they wish to do so. The carer's annual review of approval is a statutory requirement and is another opportunity to assess the carer's performance against their current level of approval.
The Payment Rates for each foster child:
The payment rates for Nottinghamshire County Council see Foster for Nottinghamshire for further additional information.
In addition to the payment of the National Minimum Fostering Allowances (referred to in Nottinghamshire as the Basic Fostering Allowance), a fostering supplement per week per child will also be paid. The level of these payments is reviewed each financial year.
All Nottinghamshire Foster Carers will start at Level 1 after being approved via The Agency Decision Maker (ADM) after attending fostering panel.
To progress to Level 2 foster carers will be expected to engage with training and complete The Training, Support and Development Standards Workbook.
The main carer will need to have completed all core training and continuing to access training to support their development to be able to progress to Level 3. The secondary carer (if a two person household) will need to also be actively engaging in training.
The decision about approval at level 2 is made by a Fostering Team Manager. A supervising social worker will present a completed Induction Training/ Training, Development and Support Standards Workbook for consideration by the Fostering Team Manager. If the Fostering Team Manager awards a certificate of successful completion, progression to level 2 is automatic.
The decision about progression to level 3 is similarly made by a Fostering Team Manager after a successful fostering review and where a primary carer has evidenced completion of all core training identified within Nottinghamshire's Training Pathway. A secondary carer must be continuing to engage in their training around core skills and beyond.
An approved foster carer who is not satisfied, with the Fostering Team Manager's decision regarding their progression through the scheme, has the right of representation. They should initially speak with their Supervising Social Worker and The Fostering Team Manager. If they are not happy with the response, then they should approach The Fostering Service Manager. The Fostering Service Manager will arrange for an independent review of the decision.
New foster carers will be considered level 1 carers once approved at fostering panel.
Prior to approval, the carer will have undertaken skills to foster training in preparation for fostering. It is expected that all applicants, including joint applicants, should attend this training, which forms part of the fostering assessments.
Relatives or friends of a specific child, who become Family and Friends foster carers for that child, will be approved as level 1 carers. They also can progress through the levels if they remain foster carers long term and complete the Training, Support and Development Standards workbook and required training.
Support Carers who are recruited to support full-time fostering placements will also be able to progress through the levels. They will need to have had a child in placement for the equivalent/ accumulative amount of time as full-time carers and meet the same requirements in respect of levels of skill and training.
Approval at level 2 is achieved by the successful completion of a Training, Support and Development Standards Workbook, with a Certificate of Successful Completion (Training, Development and Support Standards). If this has been completed previously for a carer who has transferred and there is evidence of completion, then this would be acceptable.
Approval at level 3 can only be achieved by meeting the following criteria:
- The carer has had a further one year of fostering experience since approval at level 2;
- A child has been in placement for a minimum of 75% of that time or has been in placement for 9 months since approval at level 2;
- The primary carer has completed all core training to support them in their role of foster carers and are continuing to access further training to support their ongoing development. If a two partner household, the secondary carer must be undertaking training;
- The carer has undertaken the required training and can evidence their hours learning and development in the last 12-month period;
- Positive placement feedback has been received as part of their annual review.
Child Specific Fostering
Child-specific fostering is when we recruit or identify foster carers for children who are at risk of entering or who are stepping down from residential care. It can also occur when we identity a specific home with a foster carer to best meet a child's needs. Some children may have had several moves and present with developmental trauma or complex support needs, requiring a nurturing home environment to support them to thrive. Experience of working with children and young people with complex emotional needs is desirable, although training and support is provided. Children are identified within regular meetings with representatives from looked after children, fostering and placements services, and specialist support services. Foster carers for these children receive a bespoke financial and support package to meet the specific needs of a child, which is set out in a formal contract. Allowances for child-specific fostering are updated annually with the fostering payments information. The allowance is dependent upon the age of the child. All placements are agreed by senior managers when considering the individual needs of children and young people.
Foster carers will not usually receive additional allowances outside of the agreed package of support.
A retainer allowance may be payable to foster carers when a transition plan has been agreed.
For the latest information please see Foster for Nottinghamshire.
See Money Matters and Insurance for further information.
A carer is required to undertake 20 hours (primary) and 10 hours (secondary) training per annum; if the foster household is a two-partner household, each foster carer is required to undertake training. The training can take the form of attending events, e-learning, self-learning, and home learning. Reflective logs are available to support any self-directed/home learning to evidence this.
A Foster Carer Training Brochure is published each financial year. This programme details the training events for carers offered by the fostering service.
It is important for you to continue to build on this training to be fully equipped to deal with the many situations you may face. The support and training you will be offered will help you to become more confident. There will be mandatory training that you will be expected to do, and refresh.
This support and development around training continues throughout your fostering career, making fostering a positive experience for both you and the child/young person.
All new foster carers must complete a workbook which shows evidence of their ability to meet the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care, Short Break Carers or for Family and Friends Foster Carers within 12 months of being approved (or within 18 months for Connected Persons foster carers (family and friends).
Two foster carers in the same house can use the same workbook.
Training will be geared towards each carer's needs.
The standards cover the main areas of the foster care role and what you should know, understand and be able to do.
This evidence will begin to be gathered before you are approved, through the Skills to Foster course and will continue after you are approved. All evidence will be recorded in a training and development portfolio.
There will be some standard training (core) that you must attend. There will also be further training which may be identified by you or your Supervising Social Worker through your supervision meetings and through your annual review.
Your personal development plan will set out how you will be supported with training and development. Your Supervising Social Worker will also discuss any help or support needed by your own children.
Training sessions are held during the day, evenings or sometimes at weekends in convenient places. These will be a mixture of online and in person meetings.
The fostering service is committed to providing tailored training and support to all its foster carers that is based on equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.
The Foster Care Training Brochure is available at Post-approval training Nottinghamshire County Council.
Training also comes in many forms, you may attend courses but there may also be some on-line resources/courses, books or workshops that may also be helpful.
If you move to another fostering service, your training portfolio will be transferred if requested.
To be responsible for the day-to-day care, of a child or children placed by Nottinghamshire's Children's Social Care and to work with Partner Agencies in helping children to fulfil their potential. The National Minimum Fostering Standards 2011 specify the requirements of a foster carer.
All involved in the care of vulnerable children are required to ensure that children are kept safe, are healthy, enjoy and achieve in educational and leisure pursuits, achieve economic prosperity, and make a positive contribution to society. Foster Carers are instrumental in enabling a child to secure good outcomes in these five areas.
- Caring for Children;
- To provide a good standard of child care (emotional, physical health, safety) aimed at encouraging the full potential of each child;
- To recognise the particular needs of children separated from their families;
- To take part in carrying out the child care plan which will include specific tasks, such as encouraging family and friends who are important to the child to have purposeful contact;
- To promote the healthy growth and development of the child or children, with particular emphasis on health and educational achievement;
- To ensure that children in their care are encouraged in a positive understanding of their background, heritage, religion and culture;
- To help children's understanding of their life history by saving keepsakes, mementos and photographs of the child;
- To enable children and young people who are moving on from their home to do so in a positive way.
- Providing a Safe and Caring Environment;
- To ensure that children are kept safe from harm and abuse and that they are taught how to keep themselves safe and how to get help if necessary;
- To provide an atmosphere of acceptance, respect and warmth which enables children to feel safe in their attachments to the foster family;
- To set appropriate boundaries and manage behaviour without physical or inappropriate discipline;
- To act as advocate for each child, and help them express their views and opinions;
- To encourage children in their care to use the Independent Visitor and/or Advocacy Service as appropriate.
- Working as Part of a Team;
- To work alongside the Supervising social worker in considering the impact of fostering on the foster carer and their family and the development of the carer's skills in fostering;
- To work alongside other professional people within the Department's policy and procedures;
- To attend and actively take part in all reviews, planning meetings, case conferences, and Court hearings as required;
- To keep a record of the child's placement as required by the Recording Policy for Foster Carers. To contribute to reports about the child;
- To take up appropriate training and learning opportunities and recognise the benefit of continued training;
- To deal responsibly with confidential information.
N.B. Please read 'child' as 'child or young person', which has been omitted to avoid unnecessary repetition.
Last Updated: July 10, 2025
v52
