Welcome to Members’ Week 2024!
Members’ Week is one of the most important events in the CoramBAAF calendar, and after months of careful planning and preparation, we are delighted to finally welcome you all to our packed programme! We are excited to share insights, initiatives and ideas from across the sector and to provide opportunities to network, listen and learn from each other. We are committed to supporting you, our members, in the vital work that you do and hope that during the week you will all find something to inform and inspire your practice.
This year our focus is on “Listening to the child...” and throughout the week we will explore a range of different themes relating to the diverse experiences and challenges faced by children and young people in adoption, foster care and kinship care. We will be hosting and publishing a wide range of live events, podcasts, recordings, blogs, articles and more, so why not join us to:
- Listen to a discussion between Ann Horne, our Kinship Consultant, and researcher and academic Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor as they explore the influence of gender, race and religion on the identity of care experienced children and young people.
- Attend a live presentation by The Right Honourable Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, as he explores the importance of modernising contact arrangements in adoption, fostering and kinship care and how children can stay connected to those important to them.
- Join a webinar focusing on how Virtual School Heads listen to children and enhance their educational outcomes, with input from the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection in Scotland and the National Association of Virtual School Heads in England.
- Take part in a live session with our Kinship Consultants as they use case studies from their own practice experience to reflect on the uniqueness of each kinship family, the support needed to help children stay in touch with the important people in their lives, and what worked.
- Tune in to a conversation between CoramBAAF’s Legal Consultant Augusta Itua, and Richard Oldershaw from Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) as they discuss the critical issue of school exclusions and the support available for affected children and their families.
These are just some of the highlights of the week; you can find out more at Members’ Week 2024| Listening to the child.... It’s still not too late to sign up to attend any of our live events, and don’t forget – if you haven’t done so already – you will need to create a website account to gain exclusive access to all our Members’ Week content.
If you have any feedback on the week, or suggestions for events or resources you would like to see in the future, please get in touch at membership@corambaaf.org.uk
Michelle Bell, Head of Member Services and Engagement, CoramBAAF