AWIF and Training Requirements for Foster Carers in Wales

Fostering in Wales is treated as a professional role, not an extended act of goodwill. That means training is not optional and it does not stop after you are approved. The training structure that applies to Welsh foster carers is built around two elements: the pre-approval "Skills to Foster" preparation course and the post-approval All Wales Induction Framework (AWIF).

Understanding both before you start the process will help you see the training not as a bureaucratic hurdle but as the foundation of your professional practice.

Skills to Foster: Before Approval

Before your application proceeds to the fostering panel, you will be required to complete "Skills to Foster" — the primary preparation course used across Wales. It was developed by The Fostering Network and is delivered by most fostering agencies operating in Wales, including local authority teams and IFAs.

The course is typically delivered over three full days or six evening sessions. It covers:

• The impact of trauma and attachment on children's behaviour
• Safer caring practices and safeguarding responsibilities
• Working in partnership with birth families and social work teams
• The rights of the child and the UNCRC
• What the fostering role actually looks like day to day

Importantly, the course is also an assessment opportunity in both directions. Trainers observe and report on how applicants engage with the material. Applicants get a realistic look at the work and can reconsider if it is not the right fit. Many experienced carers describe "Skills to Foster" as the moment they moved from "thinking about fostering" to "knowing I can do this."

The course is available in Welsh (Sgiliau Maethu) for Welsh-speaking applicants.

The All Wales Induction Framework (AWIF)

After approval, Welsh foster carers are expected to work through the All Wales Induction Framework for Health and Social Care. The AWIF is used across the entire social care sector in Wales — it is not specific to fostering — but its content is directly relevant to the fostering role.

While completing the AWIF is not a rigid prerequisite for all carers in the way that Skills to Foster is, it is the expected professional standard across Welsh local authorities. Most Foster Wales teams require carers to engage with it within the first year of approval.

The AWIF is organized into sections, each delivered through a workbook:

Section 2 — Principles and Values: This covers rights-based practice, the UNCRC, the "Active Offer" of Welsh language services, and the duty to treat individuals with dignity. For foster carers, this section grounds the theoretical basis of the SSWBA's well-being approach in practical terms.

Section 4 — Health and Well-being: Mental health, attachment theory, resilience, the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and nutrition. This section is particularly valuable for carers new to working with children who have experienced trauma.

Section 5 — Professional Practice: Record-keeping, professional boundaries, inter-agency working, and the carer's own learning and development needs. This section covers the "professional side" of fostering that carers sometimes find most unfamiliar.

Section 6 — Safeguarding: Identifying and responding to abuse, making referrals, child sexual exploitation (CSE) awareness, and mandatory reporting duties under the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (Wales) Order 2024.

Section 7 — Health and Safety: Risk assessment, first aid, digital safety, and the physical environment of the home.

Each section involves self-directed reading, workbook exercises, and reflection. Your Supervising Social Worker supports you through the framework and reviews your progress.

Ongoing Annual Training

Once you are through the AWIF induction period, training does not stop. Most local authority fostering services in Wales require a minimum of 15 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year. You maintain an individual Personal Learning Record and Development Plan (PLR&DP), which records your training history and identifies your ongoing learning needs.

Annual training might include:

• Topic-specific workshops: therapeutic parenting, life story work, supporting LGBTQ+ looked-after children
• Trauma and attachment refresher training
• Safeguarding updates (mandatory when guidance changes)
• Medication management or first aid recertification
• Welsh language development

Training is organized jointly through your fostering agency and, for local authority carers, through the Foster Wales regional structure. It is funded — you do not pay for it yourself.

Why This Matters for Prospective Carers

The training commitment is one of the most common surprises for people who expected fostering to simply involve opening their home. In Wales, you are entering a professional role within a statutory care system, and the expectation is that you will develop and maintain professional competence.

The upside is that the support structure is substantial. You are not expected to figure things out on your own. Your Supervising Social Worker, your agency's training team, and the wider Foster Wales network are all there to support your development.

The Wales Fostering Approval Guide covers the full training framework in detail — from what to expect in Skills to Foster right through to the AWIF modules and ongoing CPD requirements — so you can go into the process with a clear picture of what the professional commitment involves.

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