Protective Care replaces our previous Safer Caring publication. It is designed to give foster carers the confidence to make thoughtful, balanced decisions about risk, while continuing to provide the warmth, stability, and sense of belonging that all children need to thrive.
This publication includes practical guidance, tools and templates that can be used every day in fostering. It is intended to equip foster carers, fostering services and public authorities with an approach that will support children and young people to feel safe, and form part of the overall risk management strategy for foster carers and the children they care for.
“It caused me to reflect on how our current care plan could be improved… all these decisions and plans need to be looked at through the prism of the impact on the child.” – Foster carer
This course introduces Protective Care, a trauma-informed approach to fostering that supports children to feel safe while strengthening everyday fostering practice. It explores how foster carers and practitioners create safe, nurturing environments where children can thrive whilst balancing safety with positive risk-sensible decision making.
Within this framework, the course also explores how concerns and allegations can be understood and managed more clearly and proportionately.
Drawing on best practice guidance, including the 5 Ps Model, participants will be introduced to practical tools and approaches that support decision-making and more consistent responses.
By shifting towards a more proactive and relational approach, Protective Care and the Allegations Toolkit aim to reduce unnecessary disruption, supporting children to remain with their foster carers where it is safe to do so, and ensure foster carers feel supported and able to continue fostering.
This course is designed to support services and foster carers to begin thinking about how these approaches can be embedded into practice, strengthening support for both children and foster carers.
What you’ll learn
- Understand the principles of Protective Care principles and how they support children and foster carers in everyday practice
- Differentiate between allegations, concerns, and complaints with confidence.
- Apply the 5 Ps Model to guide proportionate, effective responses.
- Reflect on how to balance safety with positive, risk-sensitive approaches to support children’s development.
- Promote stability and resilience, supporting foster carers and children throughout their fostering journey.
What you’ll gain
- Increased confidence and clarity in managing allegations from initial concern to resolution
- A practical, working understanding of Protective Care that can be applied immediately
- Insight into more proportionate, consistent approaches to decision-making
- Skills to reduce unnecessary disruption
- Greater awareness of how to support stability for children and confidence for foster carers, particularly through difficult circumstances
- Understanding of how to take the next steps towards embedding these approaches
Delivered by an expert in the field
Helen West is a qualified social worker with over 25 years’ experience, specialising in safeguarding and complex abuse investigations. Helen has worked across social services, education and policing. Alongside this Helen is an experienced trainer and practitioner, having led fostering services and supported local authorities and safeguarding boards. Currently Helen leads training and consultancy for The Fostering Network. Her work is grounded in a strong commitment to child-centred practice.
Who should attend?
Members of the Fostering Network including Fostering services, foster carers, kinship carers and anyone involved in supporting children in care.
Booking details:
Member rate £110 plus VAT
Non-member rate £149 plus VAT
This one-day course will be delivered virtually via MS Teams.
Registration will begin at 9:30, confirmed delegates will be sent joining instructions by email a few days before the course start date.
For more information contact [email protected] or speak to your fostering service about funding a place on this course.
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public
17 Aug 26 - 17 Aug 26
09:45 - 14:30
Protective Care
£110 plus VAT
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