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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?

This half day training is aimed at professionals who are supporting children and their families and who would like to explore different ways to collaborate with schools in meeting the child’s emotional needs. We know that for many children who are in kinship or foster care, or who are adopted, education can be a challenging experience.

The role of the panel administrator is a multidimensional one. Effective adoption and fostering panels are crucial to the delivery of a good adoption and fostering service, and the provision of services for looked after children. The efficient administration of panels, including the provision of clear and accurate minutes, is a skilled and complex task that is essential to the smooth and effective operation of panels.This open course will enable adoption and fostering panel administrators to examine related legislation and share best practice though group discussion and practice application.

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?

Based on the very latest guidance and research, this workshop will explore the issues and dilemmas faced by decision makers in adoption and fostering agencies and provide useful templates for self-audit and future decision making.

This course explores how good quality, challenging supervision can contribute to a high quality of care provided by foster and kinship carers and to establishing and maintaining effective working relationships. We will explore the at times conflicting role of the supervising social worker, who needs to balance providing support with the need to at times have difficult conversations too. Further areas explored include foster care reviews and managing allegations. This training will combine theory, practical exercises and opportunities to reflect, to meet the learning needs of both social workers new to the role and those who are more experienced.

The PACE parenting approach was developed by Dr Dan Hughes  for parents and carers of children who are adopted or live in foster or kinship care families. PACE stands for Playfullness, Acceptance. Curiosity and Empathy and is an attitude has proved to be helpful for many professionals working in adoption, fostering or kinship care services. 

The PACE parenting approach was developed by Dr Dan Hughes  for parents and carers of children who are adopted or live in foster or kinship care families. PACE stands for Playfullness, Acceptance. Curiosity and Empathy and is an attitude has proved to be helpful for many professionals working in adoption, fostering or kinship care services. 

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.