Events archive

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.

This course is aimed at social care professionals who are engaged in the assessment of prospective adoptive parents, foster carers and kinship carers and who wish to increase their awareness and confidence in considering gender issues in assessment, analysis and decision making. 

In the year ending March 23, according to the Department of Education data, there were 7290 unaccompanied-asylum seeking children and young people in care. We know there are more who are illegally placed in hotels or incorrectly age-assessed as adults. Many of these children and young people are vulnerable and experiencing discrimination. In this open course, we will explore their legal rights, think about their needs, how these can best be met and with what support.

OPEN TO ALL
The Permanently Progressing study has been looking at the lives of all 1,836 children who became looked after (either at or away from home) in Scotland in 2012-2013 when they were aged five and under. In this seminar, the research team will explore key findings and what these mean for decision makers, policy makers, professionals who have important roles in children’s lives (including teachers and social workers), and children and their families.

This open course will look at the relevant statutory frameworks and recent case law, the challenges of working with relinquished babies and their parents, some of the complexities of the background histories of relinquished babies, the importance of counselling for relinquishing parents, care planning and the support needs of relinquished children and their adopters.

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.

OPEN TO ALL
The digital world is home to entertainment, resources, interaction and creativity.  However, for many children and young people, the line between online life and real life is often blurred. The impacts of online use on physical and mental health, are critical, particularly in adolescent development. When we think about keeping our children and young people safe online, we need to equip them with the essential tools to understand and navigate the internet responsibly. Jane Poore, Adoption Consultant, CoramBAAF, and Dr. Vicki Walker, Consultant Paediatrician, Education Officer, RCPCH, will be leading this session as part of our curriculum on navigating online life with children and young people.

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.

OPEN TO ALL
Care experienced children and young people need their workers to be curious about disability and to have conversations with them to hear their views and experiences. In this webinar, we will be exploring what we do, and importantly, do not know about children in and leaving care with a disability or long-term health condition in England. Our presenter is Dr. Clair Baker, Senior Practice Adviser, CoramVoice.

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?