Virtual School support for foster carers

Virtual School support for foster carers

Looking after a fostered child is a complex role, here you will find some useful resources to help you.

Each child has unique needs, and it's a foster carer's job to meet those needs while helping the child reach their full potential. We hope the information on this page helps you support your child's education.

You will also find details about foster carer training offered by Worcestershire Virtual School on different topics.

Support resources and training

Child to parent abuse

Parental Educational Growth Support (PEGS) is an organisation specifically founded to support parents, carers and guardians who are experiencing domestic abuse at the hands of their own children.

They offer direct support to parents and professionals, for more information visit: 

Dates of termly fostering support and guidance

12 December 2024 - PowerPoint from 12 December 2024 session 

10 April 2025 

10 July 2025

Supporting your child for school year transition

Here you will find some useful websites to help you support your child in an effective transition from Year 6 to Year 7:

Transition guidance for children looked after and previously looked after children

A guide produced by Worcestershire Virtual School to:

The Solihull Approach online parenting courses

The Solihull Approach online parenting courses are a series of NICE approved resources for parents and carers who want to learn more about sensitive and effective parenting and building a positive relationship with their child. Parents are also helped to understand how they can influence their relationship with their child through play. 

Find out more by visiting: 

Activities for children looked after

Artslink

Artslink is supported by all 14 West Midlands Virtual Schools, and aims to ensure all care experienced children and young people in the region have the opportunity to get involved in arts and culture and develop as learners, as people, and as artists. 

Our offer includes:

  • events run by clusters of Virtual Schools, such as Give It A Go days (trying new artforms and activities out) and professional artists supporting other Virtual School events such as award ceremonies
  • regional activities, such as Look Inside days (e.g. BBC, music studio) and massed performing groups, such as choirs, for showcase events

For further information on the work and activities which Artlink provide, please visit: 

Courses at Workpays

Workpays is a well respected training provider with multiple divisions that supply training and supportive programmes to businesses, individuals, and educational establishments. 

Workpays are perfectly placed to offer professional training and employability support across the whole of the Midlands.

Kinship Carers UK

Kinship Carers UK is a national not for profit charity. 

It champions the vital role of Kinship Carers, 'Connected Families' when they take on the challenging role of permanently parenting someone else’s child. 

They help kinship families succeed, by :

  • promoting loving and supportive relationships between children, young people and their kinship family
  • providing independent support (through local support groups), information and advice
  • offering a wealth of relevant experience from kinship families to prospective kinship carers and to all those who work with them

Try it, dream it, achieve it

A new sports initiative is underway to create a universal entitlement to sports provision for all children in care in the West Midlands.

Activities will be offered in a range of ways by a variety of sports and active lifestyle organisations.

It will work on the three principles of Try it, dream it, achieve it, offering a wide range of experiences and opportunities to enable children to develop their interests and talents.

It aims to:

  • enable sports specialism
  • develop independence and entrepreneurship
  • potentially lead to qualifications and careers

Here are some sporting organisations which are encouraging young people to ‘Try it, dream it, achieve it’ which can be done at home:

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