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Training available in Reading
Find out about upcoming training for family and friends (connected / kinship) carers and book onto your next course.
We are now using an online booking system so you can book all your courses online. The button below takes you to an external site where you can ‘view all courses and events’ and register for your chosen course.
Once registered, you’ll get a confirmation email with your course and the details of how to join.
For more information or if you need any help booking your course, contact: fostering.training@brighterfuturesforchildren.org.
Priority training
We recommend the below courses to be prioritised by all family and friends/connected carers to make sure children and young people have access to quality care that will meet their individual needs. It will also help you manage your caring responsibilities with confidence.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Attachment & embracing therapeutic parenting | Monday 3 June 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
Attachment & embracing therapeutic parenting | Monday 23 September 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
Attachment & embracing therapeutic parenting | Monday 16 December 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
Attachment & embracing therapeutic parenting | Monday 14 February 2025 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
- Understand the attachment process
- Describe the attachment process and the impact on brain development
- Explain the effects of positive and negative attachment relationships on child development
- Know how to promote positive attachment relationships
- Identify the skills that are required to promote positive attachment relationships
- Explain how working as part of a team promotes positive attachments
- Know about the impact of trauma, separation and loss on child development
- Identify key areas of child development that are affected by experience of traumatic events
- Explain the impact of separation and loss on children and young people
- Understand how intervention can assist children and young people who have been traumatised through early life experiences
- Describe a range of appropriate areas of intervention that would assist a child or young person who has been traumatised through early life experiences
- Explain how working as part of a team promotes recovery for traumatised children and young people.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Equality and Diversity | Monday 16 September 2024 | 9.30am-12.30pm | Online | AC Education |
Equality and Diversity | Wednesday 4 December 2024 | 9.30am-12.30pm | Online | AC Education |
Equality and diversity is central to our work with children, young people and their families. The equality and diversity course helps learners understand how it affects every aspect of professional life. The course will also support you to object to prejudice and discrimination successfully, and promote self-confidence.
On successful completion the equality and diversity course, participants will be able to:
- Understand matters in equality and diversity
- Identify key facts about equality
- Explain how diversity affects every aspect of professional life
- Know how to find information about equality and diversity in the workplace.
- Understand the different types of prejudice and discrimination which can affect children and young people
- Identify the different types of prejudice and discrimination which can affect children and young people
- Explain why it is important to work in a way which respects and protects each child’s ethnic, religious, cultural background and language.
- Know how issues of equality and diversity are addressed professionally
- Identify key concepts in promoting self-confidence
- Explain when to confront matters of equality and diversity
- Identify effective processes in promoting equality and respect for diversity
- Explain how you support and encourage children and young people to develop skills to deal with discrimination, enhance self-worth and make a positive contribution
- Explain how legislation and codes of practice relating to equality, diversity and discrimination apply to your work role.
Covering fire safety awareness, evacuation procedures with the practical use of various types of fire extinguishers.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Fire Awareness and Extinguisher training | Thursday 13 June 2024 | 10am-12.30pm | Early St Peters Church Hall, Church Rd, Early ,Reading, RG6 1EY | Bucks Fire Safety |
Fire Awareness and Extinguisher training | Thursday 14 November 2024 | 10am-12.30pm | Early St Peters Church Hall, Church Rd, Early ,Reading, RG6 1EY | Bucks Fire Safety |
Fire Awareness and Extinguisher training | Wednesday 22 January 2025 |
10am-12.30pm | Early St Peters Church Hall, Church Rd, Early ,Reading, RG6 1EY | Bucks Fire Safety |
Fire Awareness and Extinguisher training | Wednesday 30 April 2025 |
10am-12.30pm | Early St Peters Church Hall, Church Rd, Early ,Reading, RG6 1EY | Bucks Fire Safety |
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
GDPR | Tuesday 18 June 2024 | 10-11am | Online | |
GDPR | Thursday 17 October 2024 | 10-11am | Online |
This training is designed to equip the attendee to understand ‘personal information confidentiality’. At the end of the course, participants will:
- know the basic terms and principles
- be able to identify who or where the weakest link is
- know who will be policing the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
- know what a data protection officer (DPO) is
- know which policies are required
- know the first steps a carer should take.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Health and Safety | Thursday 4 July 2024 | 9.30am-12.30pm | AC Education | |
Health and Safety | Tuesday 1 October 2024 | 9.30am-12.30pm | AC Education |
This course covers:
- What is health and safety and why it is necessary?
- Understanding the importance of risk assessments
- Understanding health and safety legislation
- The role of the Health and Safety Executive and Care Quality Commission
- Health and safety responsibilities.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Paediatric First Aid | Saturday 23 March 2024 | 9am-4pm | Civic Offices Council Chambers | Tiger Lilly |
The course is designed for carers with a responsibility for the care of children and babies to equip carers with the knowledge and skills to manage a range of paediatric first aid conditions and incidents.
This course combines six hours of practical training with six hours of eLearning at home. The web-based, interactive and user-friendly eLearning module must be completed prior to the practical day. Learners can access the module as many times as needed on a computer/laptop/tablet or phone. The face-to-face training day is practical and trainer-led to maximise recall and provide learners with hands-on skills, knowledge and confidence to act when paediatric emergencies arise.
The course will cover:
- Roles & responsibilities of the first aider
- Assessing an emergency situation & prioritising action
- Unresponsive casualty (not breathing) – infant & child
- Unresponsive casualty (breathing) – infant & child
- Choking – infant & child
- Head injuries
- Seizures
- Burns, bleeds & shock
- Anaphylaxis
- Asthma
- Croup
- Bites & stings
- Suspected fracture
- Neck or back injuries
- Head injuries
- Burns & scalds
- Diabetes
- Meningitis
- Minor injuries
- Fevers
- Poisons
- Electric shock
- Drowning
- Extreme temperatures
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Safeguarding & Child Protection | Thursday 16 May 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | BFfC |
Safeguarding & Child Protection | Thursday 5 September 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | BFfC |
Safeguarding & Child Protection | Thursday 7 November 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | BFfC |
Safeguarding & Child Protection | Thursday 13 February 2025 | 10am-1pm | Online | BFfC |
Course overview:
- Recognise signs and indicators that a child or young person may be being abused and:
- explain why children and young people need protecting
- identify what child abuse is
- explain how protective adults can recognise that a child is at risk from or suffering abuse.
- Be familiar with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Process and:
- identify which services are involved in safeguarding and child protection
- describe how these services work together to safeguard children
- explain why professional judgement is essential in safeguarding children.
- Understand your own role in working together to safeguard children and:
- describe the specific responsibilities of your own service or organisation
- explain what to do if you or a colleague suspects a child is being abused
- identify the policies and procedures that set out how to carry out your responsibilities
- explain what to do if concerns shared according to policies and procedures do not produce a satisfactory response.
- Understand how to work with other agencies and:
- explain the importance of clear and accurate communication and time lines
- describe your own role in developing and supporting the protective team around the child or young person
- identify the correct route to share concerns about unsafe practice of others.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Safe Use of Medication | Wednesday 15 May 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
Safe Use of Medication | Friday 13 September 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
Safe Use of Medication | Friday 22 November 2024 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
Safe Use of Medication | Monday 10 February 2025 | 10am-1pm | Online | AC Education |
- This course will equip participants to:
- understand medication, including the different types and classification
- understand procedures for the supply, storage and disposal of medication
- understand the process of administering medication.
Recommended training
We recommend the below training in addition to prioritised courses to further assist you in your caring role.
Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to understanding and responding to children’s experiences of harm beyond their family and home. This approach considers the intersectionality of relationships children have in their schools, peer groups, online and in their community and how people, areas and physical spaces impact on their safety.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Contextual Safeguarding | Thursday 6 June 2024 | 10-11am | Teams | TBC |
Contextual Safeguarding | Thursday 26 September 2024 | 5-6pm | Teams | TBC |
Contextual Safeguarding | Thursday 16 January 2025 | 1-2pm | Teams | TBC |
Learn how to keep children safe online whether at home or out and about.
Course | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer |
Internet Safety Training | Thursday 18 July 2024 | 10-11am | Virtual | TBC |
Internet Safety Training | Wednesday 16 October 2024 | 5-6pm | Virtual | TBC |
Internet Safety Training | Wednesday 5 march 2025 | 1-2pm | Virtual | TBC |
Additional training and support groups
The family and friends (connected carer) support group has been running for 20 years with the aim of supporting kinship arrangements, including connected person foster carers, special guardians, and carers with child arrangement orders.
The group meets every other Thursday at 9.30-11am (term-time only) at the Well Church, Dawlish Road, Whitley, Reading RG2 7SD.
During school holidays we arrange arrange picnics or brunch in local cafes and the children in your care are welcome to join us. Children have previously said that they like to meet up with others their age who have had similar experiences.
The group holds discussion-based meetings where people can talk about things that are worrying them and share ideas and solutions to challenges. We also hold topic-based workshops covering subjects chosen by the group members that relate to their lives. We regularly discuss contact and family time, the impact of trauma, attachment, drugs, internet safety and looking after ourselves.
We know that coming to a group can be daunting so if you want to come but feel unsure, please let us know and we can meet you beforehand.
There is always a supply of refreshments and the group is friendly and welcoming. Those that regularly attend are likely to have been where you are and will understand what you and your family have gone through.
The group dates for 2024 are (Thursdays):
- 2 May
- 16 May
- 30 May
- 13 June
- 27 June
- 11 July
- 8 August – picnic (details will be shared within the group)
- 22 August – Picnic (details will be shared within the group)
- 19 September
- 3 October
- 17 October
- 31 October – will be a brunch meeting venue to be decided
- 14 November
- 28 November
- 12 December – this will be a Christmas lunch so times of the group will change
2025 dates will be provided in January.
Parenting Special Children deliver a range of courses for families living in Berkshire who have children and young people with special needs.
Recent courses include attachment-focused care giving for adopters, foster carers and connected carers.
You can find upcoming training on the Parenting Special Children Eventbrite page.
Compass Recovery College is a mental health and wellbeing organisation based in Reading, commissioned by Reading Borough Council.
It provides free workshops and social groups for anyone in the Reading area aged 18 and above who may be affected directly or indirectly by mental health or wellbeing challenges.
Everyone is welcome and everyone is a participant. So whether you are struggling yourself, or perhaps you are a carer, family member or professional who would like to know more about mental health and wellbeing, Compass Recovery College can help. Click the button below to go to the website.
Check Kinship Compass for free workshops and events for kinship/connected carers.
Other recommended training providers
Parenting Special Children
Specialist support for Berkshire families who have children with additional needs
Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma (CoECT)
An umbrella organisation combining resources, research, and knowledge from experts in the field of child trauma