Training, Supervision & Support

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process enables us to attract prospective carers, who, with support and ongoing training, are able to offer the highest levels of care and nurture to children and young people. Evergreen Foster Care is rigorous in its assessment of prospective foster carers and is constantly in search of those who feel able to dedicate themselves to this demanding role.

A comprehensive training and supervision programme is available to main and respite Foster Carers and a minimum attendance requirement is agreed on approval. Aspects of the programme are listed below:

Intensive initial training and 20 training sessions per year (training team consists of 2 therapists, senior social worker, leaders in special education, registered residential care manager and behaviour specialists)

  • Conflict resolution and Team Teach training (2 days)
  • Paperwork and record keeping (using a specially developed system)
  • Paediatric First Aid
  • Structure and routine – linked to behaviour plans
  • Structure and routine – linked to activity planners
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties facing children in care: trauma (delivered by therapist)
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties facing children in care: attachment disorders (delivered by therapist)
  • Supporting children on the autistic spectrum
  • Supporting children with ADHD
  • Supporting children with learning difficulties
  • Behaviour systems and boundaries, rewards and consequences
  • Therapeutic approaches (delivered by therapist)
  • Detailed contingency planning
  • Understand the impact and effect of contact on all stakeholders
  • Therapeutic Communities (delivered by therapist)
  • Review of, and strategic planning for, placement progress
  • Risk assessment
  • Group problem solving
  • Safely managing sexually harmful behaviours
  • Impulse control techniques
  • Bereavement and/or loss
  • Education for looked after children

Psychological and therapeutic input:

  • 20 x group therapeutic sessions per year with therapist
  • 20 x One-hour therapy session in their home for either the whole family, the child or the carers individually
  • Clinical psychologist consultancy and supervision for therapist
  • Accreditation as a Therapeutic Community by the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Other ongoing support:

  • Telephone advice line 24hrs
  • Attendance at LAC and PEP reviews
  • Face to face support following physical intervention or major incident (up to once per month per carer)
  • Child and carer progress monitoring (evidenced)
  • High quality and consistent respite every other weekend, 10 holiday days and 3 spare days, just if ‘something comes up’
  • Connect, Develop, Review Sessions

Supervising social workers have regular contact with the foster home and our carers have access to specialist advice and support 24 hours a day, 365 days per year from people who personally know the children in your care. Supervising social workers have at least 6 weekly contact with the child in placement as part of their supervisory duties and respite carers are provided with supervision 3 times per year, or as required.

  • I have recently attended the pre-approval Skills to Foster Training (July 2020) with Evergreen and i can honestly say that it was really useful. I was nervous at first as i wasn’t 100% sure i wanted to foster but the trainers Louise and Clare really made me feel welcome and at home and they made sure that we had the information we needed to continue with out fostering journey

    Pre-approval training for applicants

    Aged 50

  • I have never known a fostering agency provide some much support to their carers and we can’t wait to become part of the team!

    Evergreen is different

    Aged 60

  • I wasn’t sure about fostering but i liked the idea of becoming a respite carer and see how i got on. Following the pre-approval training (July 2020) i have now changed my mind, and i would like to progress to full time. I haven’t know an agency who offers so many different packages.

    I want to become a foster carer with Evergreen

  • To all the teachers and other people who helped me.

    Thank you for getting me through a school year.

    School Pupil

    Aged 17

  • You are the best school and class that I have ever been in. When I first came to school I was a bit shy but I soon realised that you were all welcoming and very understanding. I absolutely love this school and class and I could never have asked for a better family than you guys.

    School Pupil

    Aged 13

  • I wish Evergreen existed when I lived at Hopedale because they would have supported me and found me the right family to live with. The staff are great because they listen to what you want, and they understand the problems you have had in your life, then they try to give you ways to cope in the future. I lived at Hopedale for 6 years and I was desperate to move into foster care. I hope this gives other children like me, the opportunities I didn’t have.

    Ex-residential pupil

    Aged 16

  • I lived at Hopedale for 4 years and then they helped me to move into foster care. At first I was worried about leaving Hopedale, but I still come to the school and get to see my friends, so I’m very happy with how things have turned out.  I still meet with the therapist once a week so she can continue to help me with my struggles. I like living in a family again.

    Ex- residential pupil

    Aged 13

  • As an employee at Hopedale I am very excited to hear that Evergreen will be opening soon. Evergreen will open exciting opportunities for some of the children we have living at Hopedale, they will be given the opportunity to be placed with a foster family who will be equipped with the level of knowledge and share the same amount of love that the staff have here at Hopedale for the children. I am looking forward to seeing the children start their new adventures in life, as they deserve the best.

    Employee at Hopedale

  • When I started working at Hopedale, X was one of the first children that I helped to move in. In the last 3 years I have observed his confidence grow and he has developed hobbies and interests, such as theatre school and dance, which I know X was shy about attending at first. However , Hopedale encouraged him to be himself and now he is thriving and absolutely ready to live in a family. X’s foster carers should look forward to the years ahead.

    Currently employee at Hopedale

  • To everyone who went above and beyond for T.

    Thank you so much.

    Social Worker of a young person who lived at Hopedale for 5 years

  • Thank you for taking care of J and supporting his move to his forever family.

    Parent of an ex-residential pupil

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