Our monthly Exploring Expertise webinars give practitioners the opportunity to hear from leading figures in practice and research on innovative developments and examples of 'best practice' in the family placement sector. Presentations include Q&A sessions to enable attendees to delve deeper into the subject matter and explore connections to their own practice.
Members can watch the latest webinars below or head over to our YouTube channel to view earlier ones.
Pause: Trauma informed support for birth parents
A large proportion of children entering care are from families who have previously had a child removed from their care: almost half (47%) of all newborns who are subject to care proceedings were born to mothers who had previously been subject to care proceedings regarding their older sibling. You will learn more about what works in supporting these families, including Pause’s evidence-based practice model, which is centred around an intensive, supportive and trusting relationship between a woman and their Pause Practitioner, who work together to build strong foundations for the future.
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LGBTQ+ young people and their social care needs
12 March 2024
This session explored findings that outline the particular and significant needs for LGBTQ+ people when linked to social care. From three studies, a model was developed explaining their challenges and recommendations for improving practice. Our speakers outlined particular needs as well as exploring how to improve social care to develop more inclusive services.
Youth Justice and care experience
Why are care-experienced children and young people over criminalised, and how can we better support them? This session explores the reasons behind the unnecessary criminalisation of vulnerable young people and how a joined up approach from social workers, foster carers, kinship carers, lawyers and advocates can help end it.
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National Kinship Strategy: Implications for Local Authorites
30 Jan 2024
The first-ever National Kinship Care Strategy has been published. In this session we discussed the implications of the strategy on social work with kinship families and the impact it has on local authority planning, practice and workforce.
Child to parent violence and aggression
12 December 2023
In this session, Hedwig Verhagen, discussed some of findings from her book - Parenting Matters: Parenting a child affected by child to parent violence and aggression. A book that promotes the use of a trauma-responsive approach, and sets out strategies that can help manage violence and encourage children to develop more positive ways to approach challenges.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
12 September 2023
This session provided an overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It aimed to help fostering and adoption services by providing strategies and resources to assist those who are working with children or young people with a FASD diagnosis. Our presenters were Sandy and Martin Butcher, co-founders and co-chairs of the Hertfordshire FASD Support Network. Our Chair was Alice Sewell, trainer at NationalFASD.
Access to records for care-experienced and adopted people
13 June 2023
This participatory session aims to shape forthcoming best practice guidance for managing care-experienced and adopted people’s records in England and Wales and improve the culture and processes involved.
Experiences of Micro-aggressions for LGBTQ+ carers with a panel of adopters and foster carers
16 May 2023
This essential and exciting webinar gave an overview of Micro-aggressions which are subtle forms of discrimination that are often unintentional but can have a significant impact on the well-being of individuals. Presented by Charlotte Andrew, Proud 2B Parents with a panel of foster carers and adopters.
Caring for children who have experienced domestic abuse
9 May 2023
Exposure to domestic abuse can have long-term consequences for children’s health and development. These may not be immediately apparent once children have been removed from an abusive home and are living with alternative carers. The impact of domestic abuse can be missed in assessment and planning, resulting in children not receiving the level of care and support they need.
An introduction to working with black kinship care families
15 March 2023
Johanna Bernard and Sharon McPherson of Families in Harmony talk about the importance of cultural curiosity and humility when working with black kinship families. Its aim is to help organisations and individuals be more confident when working with black kinship families and to use co-production to create better outcomes for care, support and services.
Enhancing anti-racist practice in services supporting permanence for children and young people
14 February 2023
Millie Kerr explored the importance of looking at supporting permanence through an anti-racist lens and when considering the long term needs of Black and Global majority children and young people.
Kinship care support
17 January 2023
This webinar explores ‘what can effective kinship support look like’ in the context of statutory social work provision.