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On 21 March the Support Care Pilots in Wales had another opportunity to meet together.

Building up the support care workforce

As the Fostering Network Wales Support Care project enters its final year, discussions focused on the ambitious target of reaching 50 approved foster carers by April 2007. There are already 30 support carers in Wales either approved or going through the assessment process. The Fostering Network Wales Support Care project has trained carers from Swansea and Pembrokeshire using an adapted version of Skills to Foster.

Jane Butler, Director of the Fostering Network Wales, spoke about using competency based assessments with support carers and which competencies require particular emphasis for support carers.

June Statham from the Thomas Coram Research Institute talked about the benefits of using the project database to record the number of children recieving support care, why, and for how long.

Chris Priestman and Philippa Padbury from the Fostering Network England Support Care project gave feedback on the 13 support care pilots they have been working with in England. Their project comes to an end in March 2007. Download Chris and Philippa's presentation in MS Powerpoint.

The work doesn't stop when the project comes to an end!

The Fostering Network has plans to assist fostering providers to develop support care after the current Wales and England projects finish. These plans include a network of support care providers which will meet regularly, access to appropriate materials for developing support care and training opportunities.

Philippa Williams said "we are delighted that Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taff already have approved carers working with families to prevent their children being taken into care long-term.

"We are confident that Barnados Gwynedd, Powys and Pembrokeshire will be in a similar position by the end of the project."