Abstract
This paper explores the current literature around foster care training in the UK in relation to a short training programme devised for foster carers from a small Scottish charity supporting looked after children in Scotland. The training package aimed to promote foster parent and child interaction and build positive and nurturing relationships through the use of art and play, within an attachment framework. The project was designed, delivered and evaluated as a work-based project and was not intended as a piece of research. Instead, it is offered as a case study to explore effective dimensions of related training, as well as inherent challenges and points of learning. Although the focus is on foster carers, it may be of interest generally to managers, academics, care workers or leavers, and those designing and delivering training packages to professionals and carers in health and social care. There were many challenges encountered in designing, project managing, delivering and evaluating the programme. The author discusses some of these differences with reference to previous work in this area, finding that the challenges encountered by others were broadly similar. Implications for future training programmes are considered.
