Foster care training

[maya03]

My husband & myself have been approved foster carers for the last 15 months, we are yet to have a placement although we almost got one during the summer, but that's another story.
We have both done the CWDC and I am about to start the Post approval training in January, the thing is we have been told two different stories one is that we both have to complete all the training (CWDC, Post Approval & diploma) the other is that we both had to do CWDC but the rest I could do on my own as my husband has a full time job and neither of us think it's fair for him to have to give up his annual holidays to do courses. Can anyone who is a carer tell me what they have done. Thanks.

15 months without a placement?? Are you with an agency or LA? Is your approval quite specific? That's the longest time without a child I've heard of.

WRT your training queries, in my LA I think only the main carer would be required to do CWDC - or you could do it jointly - because otherwise you could just copy each others anyway! When my LA was rushing ours through a few years ago the SWs wrote as much of them as we did. You would both be required to go on the core training though (eg safeguarding, health and safety etc) if you both had responsibility for the children in your care. They are important courses. Some are run in the evenings though - would that help?

We are with LA and approved for single child or sibling group, aged 5-11, long term. We did get a match during the summer but because of a certain behaviour that came to light that nobody previously knew about we couldn't proceed with the placement. We have both done the skills to foster the induction training that went with the CWDC and the first aid plus some development modules. We've now completed the CWDC and I am down to do the nine parts of the post approval but different people are telling us different things. A carer we know says her husband didn't have to do the post approval as he isn't the main carer he just does the odd important training now & again, then others have said my husband has to do everything I do. I know they do have some sessions in the evening but when you've done a full days work your mind isn't really on the job in hand is it. Will have to try and get a straight answer from our SSC although that's like pulling teeth!