Parent & Child Together

Course Aim

The course aims to prepare foster carers to undertake parent and child placements safely and effectively by developing their understanding of safeguarding, observation, recording, partnership working and the foster carer’s role in assessment and court processes.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Develop a clear understanding of the purpose and aims of Parent and Child Arrangements, and how these support children to remain safely within their families.
• Build confidence in their understanding of relevant legislation, research and guidance, and how this informs safe, ethical and effective practice.
• Understand how to prioritise safeguarding in everyday practice, recognising both risk and protective factors within family life and parent–child relationships.
• Gain clarity around roles, responsibilities and procedures, supporting confident decision‑making and professional accountability.
• Understand the principles of effective planning and assessment, with a focus on the child’s lived experience and emotional wellbeing.
• Strengthen observation and monitoring skills, learning how to notice change, interpret behaviour and respond thoughtfully.
• Improve skills in recording and handling information, ensuring records are clear, proportionate, respectful and purposeful.
• Develop more confident, compassionate ways of working with parents, supporting engagement, trust and positive change.
• Enhance skills in partnership working, understanding how to collaborate effectively with other professionals and agencies around the child and family.
• Gain insight into how evidence is presented in court, including how foster carers and professionals contribute observations, records and professional judgement.

This course will take place virtually on MS Teams

Joining instructions will be sent a few days prior to the start date.