Shared Lives Victoria 2019 is now available to be delivered by foster care agencies
On 1 July 2019, Shared Lives Victoria 2019 will replace Shared Stories Shared Lives as the mandatory pre-service foster care training package.
Until 30 June 2019, Shared Stories Shared Lives 2006 can continue to be delivered where necessary to ensure service continuity while staff complete mandatory familiarisation training.
Our Carers for Our Kids is the training package delivered to prospective foster carers by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation foster care services.
What's new
The Shared Lives Victoria 2019 updated training package includes:
- More guidance for trainers
- Updated resources
- More flexible delivery
- New topics include:
- Information on the concept of brain development and developmental trauma, including its impact on children's feelings of safety and ability to regulate emotions
- Coverage of "repair" parenting, including the PACE approach
- Much stronger focus on culture and identity, including Aboriginal identity
- Information on the impact on carers' children
- Information about engaging with health and education services
Training requirements to present Shared Lives Victoria 2019
Foster care agency staff must undertake familiarisation training delivered by a trainer, registered with the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies, before presenting Shared Lives Victoria 2019 to prospective foster carers.
Familiarisation training includes either:
- One-day familiarisation training (for experienced presenters); or
- Three-day familiarisation training (for presenters inexperienced in training foster carers).
After completion of the familiarisation training, the Shared Lives Victoria 2019 training package and a certificate of training will be emailed to presenters by the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies.
For more information about how to register to attend familiarisation training contact the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare or refer to their training calendar to view or book into available training.
Familiarisation trainer – 'train the trainer'
Staff from foster care agencies can become a familiarisation 'train the trainer' within their organisation.
To become a registered familiarisation trainer ‘train the trainer’ with the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA), a candidate must:
- Deliver Shared Lives Victoria 2019 three times to prospective foster carers and
- Demonstrate relevant training, skills and experience, by submitting a 20 to 40-minute audio-visual recording of their presentation on "repair parenting" and PACE (as set out on page 83-91 of the Shared Lives Victoria Leaders Guide)
For more information, see Process to become a familiarisation trainer in Shared Lives Victoria 2019 (word).