Advanced Skills in Foster Care
This Level 3 BTEC Certificate is the first step to professional practice for foster carers and support staff. Delivered in partnership by Akamas and BAAF, it is available nationally via online distance learning. The comprehensive curriculum ensures that foster carers have the resources they need to provide a safe, nurturing and healing environment for the children in their care. Areas covered include child development and attachment, managing behaviour, safe caring and child protection, along with a range of specialist option units.
As the UK’s leading charity promoting foster care practice, BAAF recognises the importance of professional development in raising the standard of care provision. BAAF’s involvement in promoting and quality-assuring Akamas’ Advanced Skills in Foster Care Certificate reflects their view that it is the most relevant, accessible and appropriate pathway for continuing development in the sector.
Students are assigned a personal tutor to support them and assess their work as they study in our unique Online Learning Environment. The website also allows students to share ideas, experience and support with colleagues from across the UK.
Target audience
- Foster carers
- Support workers who are not qualified social workers
- Other staff requiring an in-depth knowledge of foster care theory and practice
Content and structure
- The course consists of 120 hours of learning
- Students complete three core units and one option unit
- Course content is mapped to the N/SVQ in Health and Social Care (Children) and other relevant standards.
Core units
001.1 Promoting healthy development
- Attachment
- Life story work in foster care
- Preparation for adult life
001.2 Enabling traumatised children to manage their behaviour
- Impulsive behaviour
- Sexualised behaviour
- Maladaptive behaviour: alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, self harm
001.3 Working as part of a team in foster care
- Child protection
- Safe caring
- Working with the foster care provider
- Working with other agencies
Option units
- 001.4 Addressing addictive and self harming behaviour
- 001.5 Working with children with specific impairments
- 001.6 Basic law for foster care practitioners in England and Wales
- 001.7 Addressing the needs of birth children (from October 2007)
- 001.8 Addressing the impact of parental mental illness, domestic violence and substance misuse (from October 2007)
- 002.4 Working with sexually traumatised children
- 002.5 Working with disabled and traumatised children
- 002.6 Managing stakeholder communications
- 002.7 Working with young offenders (from October 2007)
- 002.8 Gender and power in child care (from October 2007)
For more information and to download a booking form visit the Akamas website
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