Training & events programme

FREE FOR MEMBERS
We know that young people with experience of local authority care have far greater rates of mental health difficulties than their non care-experienced peers. Yet, paradoxically, there is growing evidence that care-experienced young people are likely to find it more difficult to receive an accurate diagnosis and access to NICE-recommended best-evidenced mental health care. This talk will present findings from the ADaPT project – an active implementation study spanning 28 mental health teams across England. Our presenter is Dr. Rachel Hiller

This half day course is aimed at professionals who work with children and families who may benefit from a therapeutic intervention and would like to increase their understanding of different therapeutic approaches. Foster carers, kinship carers and adoptive parents who are considering different options for therapeutic support may also benefit from this training.

Decision makers in fostering and adoption agencies have a vital but often under-explored role. Many decision makers describe finding themselves in the role with little or no preparation, and with few arenas locally to share dilemmas or discuss best practice. What is the best process for reaching a sound decision? How can you avoid it simply becoming a ‘rubber-stamping’ exercise? What is your role in relation to the quality assurance of the panel’s activities? How should a decision maker appraise a panel chair? What does a reasonable decision look like? How should it be conveyed?

The role of the supervising social worker: supervising and supporting foster carers

15 Aug 2024 | ONLINE

The role of the supervising social worker has many facets, involving managerial, supervisory, educative and support functions. This course provides supervising social workers the opportunity to develop their practice and confidence in these areas. It will include a review their role and responsibilities in relation to foster carers and promote the development of best practice

This two-day open course will provide practitioners and particularly those who may be new to undertaking, quality assuring or considering fostering assessments with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and practice in completing fostering assessments. This workshop may also provide a refresher for those wanting to reflect and build on knowledge skills and best practice in the completion of fostering assessments.

Making plans for staying in touch

9 Sep 2024 | ONLINE

This course is an opportunity to consider what we know about staying in touch from research, including what works well, the voices of those with lived experience, and aspects that may present challenges or need more support.

This open course aims to give new and recently appointed fostering and adoption panel members an opportunity to develop their role as effective panel members and to consider the tasks and responsibilities involved. This will be within the context of the current legislative framework and emerging messages from research. Fostering and adoption/permanency panel work is challenging to all concerned in the process. This course is intended to share issues, dilemmas and best practice.

Private fostering practice

10 Sep 2024 | London

This course is an opportunity to explore the legal and practice framework of private fostering, including best practice in how to work with this often unseen group of children.

Adoption assessments (Form PAR) – best practices - two day course

11 Sep 2024 |

This two-day open course will provide practitioners and particularly those who may be new to undertaking adoption assessments with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and practice in completing adoption assessments. Practitioners will be enabled to consider thorough, rigorous, consistent and fair approaches across the service in the assessment of prospective adopters. This course may also provide a refresher for those wanting to reflect and build on knowledge skills and best practice in the completion of adoption assessments.

The objects around us are intertwined with our feelings and experiences. Exploring our relationship with objects can help us tell our stories and give us a greater understanding of other people and ourselves. The course will demonstrate how objects can be used as an accessible tool to evoke, release and relieve emotions, how objects can become a safe home for these feelings, and how a focus on objects can free the imagination and promote creative practices and relationships.