Training resources

Katy Burch and Terry Connor evaluate two pieces of work for
foster carers and residential care staff working with looked-after
children.

The Foster Carer’s Handbook (2nd Edition)
Ann Wheal

Russell House Publishing
4 St George’s House
The Business Park
Uplyme Road
Lyme Regis
Dorset
DT7 3LS

£24.95 (plus £1.50 p&p)

This revised version of the popular guide to caring for younger
looked-after children is, as its title suggests, aimed
predominantly at foster carers, but it is also of use to
residential workers, and all professionals who work with
looked-after children. It contains updated information from the
first edition, plus some revised or new sections, including those
relating to carers attending court, what happens when a child in
care dies, men who foster, and the role of the independent
fostering agencies.

It is an invaluable guide to communicating with children who may
have been abused, or who are separated from their family and
friends. It provides illustrations of and specific tools for
assisting foster carers and professionals in listening to and
talking with young children. It also includes some excellent
practical advice on dealing with situations involving the child,
for example by illustrating some of the worries or concerns that a
young child may have when first arriving in the substitute home,
and suggesting ways to help them to settle in.

Perhaps the most significant contribution it makes is the fact
that it has been written and illustrated in a child-friendly format
to enable carers and others to read and use it with the children
themselves as a ‘talking tool’ when they ask about what it means to
be looked after, or about issues beyond the home itself. For
example, most sections have at least one activity, such as games,
checklists, and pictures.

Unfortunately, it is let down by the occasional factual error,
and poor layout in places. In particular, it would benefit from a
comprehensive indexing system for ease of access to the
material.

For training purposes, the publication is available in
loose-leaf form for ease of incorporation with agencies’ own
materials.

Katy Burch is senior research consultant, School for Social
Sciences and Law, Oxford Brookes University.

Managing Residential Childcare
Nick Frost and John Harris

Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
8 St George’s Place
Brighton
East Sussex BN1 4GB£80

This popular training manual has been comprehensively updated in
line with new developments in residential child care. It is
primarily aimed at managers of children’s establishments, but will
be of interest to other child care staff. It is adaptable for use
in group training over a period of time, complete with handouts and
OHPs, or as an individual learning pack.

The manual is organised in five modules. “Changing environment and
the new culture of care”, considers the impact of legislation and
regulation, and in doing so forges a helpful link between the
development of management theory and the Quality Protects agenda.
The second module, on managing and planning the process of change,
is a practical application of management principles in the
participant’s own managerial context. A statement of purpose is
used to clarify and strengthen the identity and integrity of the
home, and a “through the eyes of a child” exercise encourages
participants to imagine themselves as children being brought to the
home for the first time.

People management has its own module and highlights supervision as
a key issue for managers. As well as dealing with specific aspects
of the task there is a self-assessment questionnaire on supervisory
skills which should test people’s frankness. There are also
sections on handling poor performance and on planning a staff rota,
which is an unavoidable and sensitive task in any residential
home.

The final module involves the application of learning in the work
environment.

As homes prepare for the new arrangements under the Care Standards
Act 2000, the timely updating of this resource will assist staff in
their efforts to establish and maintain a reliable and safe
experience for vulnerable children and young people.

Terry Connor is director of the Catholic Children’s
Society.