SWIIS Foster Care Scotland has developed systems and structures to fully support the intention of being recognised nationally as a ‘Learning Organisation’. We have developed a ‘Workforce Development Strategy’ with the aim of providing meaningful direction and support for our foster carers and employees in pursuing what we feel are the three main tenets of organisational learning and development:
- Career Pathways / Management Development and access to external courses and qualifications
- A full, flexible and robust Induction Process, ‘Mandatory’ and ‘Optional’ Training Calendar and annual ‘Appraisal’ & ‘Review’ Processes
- Encouragement and support for individuals to take personal responsibility for their ‘Continuous Professional Development’
These areas have helped to establish the Training and Development Service within SWIIS as a fundamental support for all practice areas, across all posts and to all carers as they provide the ‘holistic’ service dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for all children and young people placed with us.
To support this strategy we have delivered a ‘Learning Box’ to every staff member and carer in SWIIS, including a comprehensive training calendar, updated every six months alongside a range of learning materials, e.g. a CD and DVD containing key learning for staff and carers, reflective writing sheets and a copy of the SSSC document the ‘Continuous Learning Framework’ [‘CLF’] – our use of the ‘CLF’ has been highlighted on the SSSC website here. We have also been asked by the SSSC to become a Leadership research ‘Case Study’ for the ‘CLF’ during 2011/12. We were also asked to present a workshop at the SSSC Conference in September 2010 and you can see the presentation here.
We have financed and supported many staff and carers to undertake professional qualifications through, e.g. the Open University – our carers were the first in the UK to undertake the new K101 [with integrated VQ] you can read the story here or click on the attachment below to read the full article, alternatively watch the video testimonial that has gone live on the OU in Scotland website here. As well as providing this support for external qualifications, we have recently become approved as an SQA Assessment Centre and will deliver SVQ Level 3 & 4 in Health and Social Care [Children & Young People] to foster carers and staff as well as training our own Assessors and Internal Verifiers to deliver the awards. We are keen to offer out these awards to other organisations.
In 2010 we underwent Investors in People assessment to examine our strategy and were awarded Bronze Status at our first attempt.
A full evaluation of the Training and Development Service was carried out during 2010. This 26 page document highlighted feedback from staff and carers across SWIIS in all areas delivered by the service, including the findings from a questionnaire survey sent to all, feedback from the Strathclyde University Research project, feedback on Induction process and training delivered. This evaluation also set out a 15 point Action plan, which has formed part of the learning and development work plan over 2010/11. The full evaluation is available on request.
Training Calendar:
SWIIS Foster Care Scotland Training Calendar every six months. It covers the period from January - June and August - December. The calendar lays out the SWIIS training programme, while giving full details of each course available including a brief description of the course as well as the date, times, venue and trainers. The calendar is available to all SWIIS foster carers and staff. The calendar also helps to set out the mandatory training programme for all carers and staff. A copy of the training calendar is available by clicking the icon at the bottom of the page. Mandatory courses are:
· Child Protection Training
· Contact
· First Aid
· Recording
· Safer Caring
· Self Regulation
· Values and Ethical Practice
The training calendar also includes several optional courses, for example:
· Attachment Groups
· Autism Awareness
· Communicating with Traumatised Children
· Raising Awareness of Dyslexia
· Substance Awareness
The calendar highlights link we have with other training providers, such as The Open University and Chrysalis Professional Development, as well as links to external training courses and providers.
Newsletter:
A quarterly newsletter produced by the Learning and Development section, which contains sections for regional news and corporate news; celebrating the achievements of our young people, carers and staff; giving information on local events such as support groups, coffee mornings and training; and highlighting useful resources.
EVOC:
SWIIS use the Training Needs Analyser (TNA) provided by EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council) to record all staff and carers attendance at training: SWIIS Training, external training, and all formal qualifications.
If you are interested in learning more about any of the above, please contact Roy Lawrence or Kaileigh Hayes on 01383 542284.
Training Calendar
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OU Full Article
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Fostering In Scotland Spring Issue
In the latest edition of Fostering in Scotland quarterly newsletter, Roy Lawrence, SWIIS Training and Development Co-ordinator discussed the range of support carers can expect from SWIIS in relation to their learning and development. Carol Craig, one of our experienced carers, also described her personal development journey within SWIIS.
SWIIS recently filmed a short promotional film for the Open University in Scotland to highlight the partnership working we have been committed to over the past two years, which includes access to a range of qualifications for staff and carers and joint workshop development.
SWIIS have also recently been approved as an ‘Assessment Centre’ through the Scottish Qualifications Authority to deliver a range of awards to their own staff and carers and have agreed to deliver these awards to a Fife Council cohort as part of a pilot project. SWIIS are keen to speak to any organisations who would be interested in us delivering qualifications and/or training to them.
To read the full article, turn to page 6 of the attached magazine…
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Fostering A New Career
Fostering A New Career
SWIIS Foster Care Scotland continues to search for new carers. Are you ready for a career change? Could you be a carer with SWIIS Foster Care?
Carol Craig, Carer, talks to the Daily Mail on what inspired her.
Click on the attached link to read the full story...
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Scotland's Future Teachers
In March 2011, a collective of SWIIS representatives went along to the University of Strathclyde, Jordanhill Campus to deliver a half day workshop to Post Graduate teaching students undertaking the ‘LAC in Education’ module with Dr Graham Connelly. The representatives were “C” (young person), Carol (Foster Carer), Valsamina (Therapist), Jane (Senior Manager Education, Health & Wellbeing) and Kate (Director).
The session included a presentation on fostering in Scotland, input on the SWIIS Education Support Service model, how it links to GIRFEC and the promotion of Achievement for Looked After children and young people. Sections of the workshop were dedicated to an experiential exercise using Megan’s Story from the TFN Skills to Foster programme and an inspiring presentation by Valsamina on Attachment and Learning that helped the students to reflect on their approaches with young people in the classroom.
The participants were captivated by Carol and “C” candid accounts of their own experiences of being a foster carer working with SWIIS support teams, schools and college and of being a Looked After young person who has overcome barriers to succeed in education and become aspirational for C’s own future.
It was very poignant at the end of the day when students went to talk to Carol and “C” with one of them asking “C”, “If I was your teacher what should I do to help you?” The reply was, “Just listen to me...”
To hear more from Carol, click on the attachment...
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The Future of Foster Care in Scotland
‘The Future of Foster Care in Scotland’ Conference
Kate, Roy, Kit, Dawn, Carol (SWIIS carer) and a young person attended the Children in Scotland: ‘The Future of Foster Care in Scotland’ Conference on 13 September 2011 in Perth. The morning session involved various speakers presenting on specific topics:
Why bonding is important for brains as well as hearts;
Keeping the child's whole journey in mind;
Foster care feedback and successful outcomes for children and young people;
Education: basic building blocks and beyond; Fix us parents so we can fix our kids
In the afternoon, SWIIS led a workshop on the topic ‘improving life chances through learning.’
This was attended by sixteen of the eighty plus delegates who came to represent a wide range of care professions.
Kate started off the workshop by giving a very brief background to SWIIS. Roy talked about his appointment as Training and Development Coordinator in SWIIS and how the Learning and Development team has grown and developed since then. He also spoke about SWIIS as a ‘learning organization’ at all levels and how they encourage research and evidence based practice and the registration of the Assessment Centre through the SQA.
Kit spoke about her original role within SWIIS as a supervising social worker and her recent move to the post of Training Officer within the Learning and Development Team. She felt that in her previous role she was actively involved in the continuing personal and professional development of the carers and that this, coupled with training, equipped them to provide a high quality of care for the Children and Young People.
Dawn talked about her position as Education Worker, Carol’s children’s involvement in Children Who Foster and the support Dawn provides to Carol her family and young people in placement. Carol and the young person talked to the group about the role of lifelong learning and their parallel journeys. The young person felt that her own educational achievement and personal growth ‘mirrored’ the personal and professional development of Carol which she had achieved through her attendance at training and the experience gained over time as a carer. She felt that Carol was and continued to be a great role model for her.
The workshop was a success and a huge ‘thank you’ was given to everyone involved.
SWIIS Foster Care Learning and Development
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How Fostering Can Boost Brains
Zeedyk will take place in Dundee on 14th March and
Glasgow on 21st March, between 10am and 2pm and
will focus on 'How Fostering Can Boost Brains'.
For the past 25 years, Dr Suzanne Zeedyk has been
an academic researcher and Developmental
Psychologist based at the University of Dundee, where
she received the 'Inspirational Teaching' award from
students in 2011.
Please see the attached flyer for more information...
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SWIIS Deliver Workshop at Jordanhill
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