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Panel advisors have a complex role in managing the relationship between the agency and the panel, quality assuring and feeding back to all involved in panel work. This open course will enable panel advisors to examine this role in detail and build on effective practice as they carry out their role and responsibilities including: quality assurance; inducting new panel members; contributing to the appraisals of panel members; feeding back issues to the agency and working with the agency decision maker. Case scenarios, group work and practice application will provide opportunities for panel advisors to address shared dilemmas and good practice.

The good practice guide, Safeguarding children living with foster carers, Adopters and Special Guardians: Learning from case reviews 2007–2019, is based on a UK wide study of 52 case reviews concerning 98 children who had experienced serious harm while living with foster carers, adopters or special guardians. The study spans 12 years and is the first to focus exclusively on reviews of cases of children in alternative family care. It shines a spotlight on those issues particular to these children – selection and assessment of carers; support for children and carers; and the supervision and management of arrangements.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund has been available to children living with special guardians since 2016, and its name was changed in 2023 with the publication of the National Kinship Care Strategy. Although the number of applications made on behalf of children living with special guardians is slowly increasing, the number of applications is still considerably lower than those made for adopted children.

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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with lifelong cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges. Early identification and support can significantly improve outcomes for children with FASD, highlighting the need for social workers to have a clear understanding of the challenges associated with prognosis, the prevalence of FASD, and its complex intersections with trauma and attachment. In this session, we are delighted to be joined by Dr Alan Price and colleagues from the University of Salford to share some of the promising research into FASD and its implications for social work practice.

This two hour training is aimed at local authority professionals – both social workers and lawyers - who are involved in the placement of children currently living in England to kinship carers overseas on a Special Guardianship Order. It will provide an overview of the legal and practice issues regarding special guardianship for children being placed abroad. There will then be ample time to discuss issues in overseas cases during the case study and group discussion.

We know that starting out as a foster carer can be overwhelming at times. To help you feel confident in your role, and in building relationships with the children and young people in your care, we have designed a bundle to support you in those early stages.

For those that are interested in the next step after reading and using the resources in our starter pack for foster carers, or are looking for titles related to parenting, take a look at our bundle of fundamentals for foster carers.

We've bundled three of our foster carer handbooks for a discounted price. Get your guide about parenting teenagers, health and education for £38 (plus p&p) instead of £42.85

Foster carer recruitment and retention are huge challenges that have attracted much research and reporting, without leading to widespread positive change. But some key best practice has been learned. What forms of recruitment have proved most useful, and what advertising encourages applications? How have some agencies successfully reached a range of diverse applicants? What do carers value most in a fostering service, making them more likely to stay – and what factors may push them to leave?