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Effective panels: an introduction to the functions and operations of fostering and adoption panels (England)

| ONLINE

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.

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Fostering assessments (Form F) – best practices - two day course

| ONLINE

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.

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Panel advisors: their role and responsibilities for fostering and permanency panels

| ONLINE

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.

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Facilitating parent and child placements

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Foster carers are increasingly being asked to care for a parent and their child during care proceedings, and to contribute towards the assessment of parenting capacity. This type of arrangement is complex, involving different tasks and responsibilities.

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Becoming a culturally competent social worker

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Cultural competence involves ensuring our attitudes, communication and behaviours recognise and respect cultural differences. As social workers, in whatever our role, it’s essential we are continually working towards cultural competence in our practice. In this open course, you will be supported to explore some of the key concepts within cultural competence and anti-oppressive practice, and then apply this learning to your practice. It will include exploration of how personal and professional identities can impact on the decisions we make in our professional roles.

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Panel administrators: their role and responsibilities for fostering and permanency panels

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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.

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An introduction to private fostering

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This course is an opportunity to explore the legal and practice framework of private fostering, including thinking about how to identify and work with this often unseen group of children. It will include explanation of the respective responsibilities of parents, private foster carers and local authorities, when private fostering arrangements are made. Since the war in Ukraine, some Ukrainian children who have travelled to the UK for safety, are living in private fostering arrangements, and this introductory course will also briefly explore their needs.

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Learning from case reviews in adoption, fostering and SGO cases

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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.

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Assessing adult relationships

| ONLINE

The purpose of this open course is to give participants an opportunity to consider what good practice in assessing adult relationships is, exploring their own values and assumptions and to consider the importance of attachment styles; motivation; sex and sexuality; and loss and infertility.

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