Foster carers meet together in small support groups with, or at times without, the assistance of the fostering social work team. This provides much needed opportunity to talk about fostering issues with other carers. Carer support groups are often attended by carers who have a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise which they have accumulated through many years in fostering. These carers can offer valuable support to less experienced carers.
Formal and informal feedback from support groups help to inform further training needs which can be addressed through the support group, one to one sessions, or in more structured training settings.