Training & events programme

This course is an opportunity to explore the unique context of kinship care and assessment of prospective kinship carers. Participants will explore professional and personal values and gain knowledge of what constitutes a robust kinship assessment within the legal and regulatory framework. The course will consider different assessment tools that can be used in kinship assessment practice, triangulation of information and effective support planning.

FREE FOR MEMBERS
Despite kinship care rising the UK policy agenda it still has a growing evidence base. This feasibility study, led by Coram’s Institute for Children, aimed to contribute to the developing the evidence base on what interventions and support can work best for kinship carers, family members and children in kinship care. The project and the evaluation were funded by Foundations, the national What Works Centre for Children & Families.

Some kinship carers are approved as kinship foster carers and therefore their situation and circumstances are often very different to mainstream foster carers. This course provides an opportunity to reflect on the statutory framework of approval, support, supervision and review of kinship foster carers and how this unique context differs from that of mainstream fostering. This course does not cover kinship assessment practice, but rather focuses on approval, support and review beyond the assessment process.  

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.

The responsibilities of a Chair can be considerable. Whereas some duties may be clearly outlined in related practice guidance along with the qualities that ensure effective chairing, not all Chair responsibilities are so helpfully detailed or provided. This workshop will explore general planning for and facilitation of panels and complex meetings in the children’s sector. It will explore time management and group facilitation whilst holding the child at the centre of thinking, recommendations and decision making. It will enable Chairs of meetings to consider good practice and approaches to effectively managing the flow of information, summarising and the formation of key action plans.

FREE FOR MEMBERS
Attachment theory is a staple of practice. However, the version of the theory in circulation is quite outdated. Not only does attachment theory today look very different to the paradigm initially introduced by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. More than this, with the accumulation of evidence over time, there have been some major revolutions since the 1990s. This webinar by Professor Robbie Duschinsky will discuss these fundamental changes that have occurred in attachment since the 1990s and consider the implications of these developments for practice with children and families

This half day course is aimed at professionals who work with children and families who may benefit from a therapeutic intervention and would like to increase their understanding of different therapeutic approaches. Foster carers, kinship carers and adoptive parents who are considering different options for therapeutic support may also benefit from this training.

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 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.

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.