Prioritising equality, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare for children in care
It’s always a busy time for us here at CoramBAAF and the spring is no different as it coincides with the preparation for our Annual Health Conference. It is a key event in the calendars of medical advisers, doctors, nurses and health professionals working with care-experienced and adopted children.
Our theme this year focuses on putting equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of health services. We’d love to share with you some of the thoughts and reflections of regular attendees of our Annual Health Conference. We asked Michelle Bond, a Named Doctor for children in care (Brighton and Hove) and Medical Adviser for Adoption and Fostering, to share her experiences.
I have been working as a consultant Community Paediatrician since 2007 and have had an interest in the health of children in care since I was a trainee. To support this, I have been attending meetings at CoramBAAF since the start of my career as a consultant, and I am currently Vice Chair of the Heath Group Advisory Committee.
Over the years I have attended several events at CoramBAAF and always look forward to the Annual Health Conference - the programme of lectures and workshops is guaranteed to be thought provoking and stimulating. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to meet up in person with other health professionals from across the UK (many of whom I would otherwise only see online), and to make contact with new people. It is a great networking opportunity!
I often take learning points back to my team, including suggested practice development around unaccompanied asylum seeking children, mental health services and how to capture the child’s voice. We have made several changes to our practice as a result of CoramBAAF’s events and conferences.
At the 2024 conference I presented a poster alongside Sue Donald, a Specialist Nurse for Children in Care for NHS Sussex, about our joint doctor and nurse model for initial health assessments. There was a lot of interest in our poster at the conference. The key themes we wanted to present from our model were the importance of the specialist nurses building an ongoing relationship with the children starting at their initial health assessment, and the complimentary skills that doctors and nurses bring to the health assessment. The inclusion of informal poster presentations at the Annual Health Conference is a great addition to what’s on offer at the event! The posters allow practitioners to showcase their work and learn from each other, and encourages multi-agency networking.
I am very much looking forward to this year’s conference on prioritising equality, diversity and inclusion, giving us the opportunity to think about particularly vulnerable and marginalised groups in the care system such as unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people, and children with disabilities and special educational needs. I'm sure I will come away with new ideas for myself and my team, and fresh inspiration to inform our practice.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure you spend time networking. And perhaps think about how you might be able to take part next year! I hope I see you at this year's conference.
Michelle Bond, Named Doctor for children in care (Brighton and Hove) and Medical Adviser for Adoption and Fostering.
The Annual Health Conference is an opportunity to connect with professionals who share your passion for improving the outcomes of care-experienced and adopted children. It is an event that will help you improve your skills and take your practice to the next level.
This year, it offers the unique opportunity to reflect on your understanding of complex identities and intersectionality, as well as how personal characteristics like race, nationality, ethnicity, disability, gender and sexual orientation, may impact experiences of health care and, in particular, care experience. We hope you can join us for this special event.
This year's Annual Health Conference is now SOLD OUT. To join the waiting list and be notified if any spots open up, please scroll to the bottom of the booking page to register.