In this episode, we dive into the insights from our latest Good Practice Guide, Exploring and assessing motivations to adopt. Jo Francis, CoramBAAF’s Publishing Manager, meets  with the guide's author, Laura Payne. Laura shares her experiences in writing the book, detailing the interviews she conducted and the insights she gained while examining the diverse reasons people choose to adopt. Together, they discuss how these motivations impact the adoption assessment process, offering valuable perspectives for professionals in the field. 

Laura Payne has worked in and managed several adoption agencies (both local authority and voluntary adoption agencies), and has over 30 years of experience. She is now a trainer and consultant, with a particular interest in assessment, panels, post-adoption support and the longer-term needs of adoptive families.

For more information visit corambaaf.org.uk.

This practice guide will help social workers better understand and assess motivation, by examining four groups: couples who have experienced fertility issues, LGBTQ+ applicants, single applicants, and those for whom adoption is their first choice. It will empower workers to explore various motivations, how they may affect adoption success or need for support, and how to discuss often sensitive subjects with applicants – with an eye to providing thoughtful and analytical assessment. It also explores the key importance of applicants’ expectations of parenthood and how these can affect their adoption journey.   

This guide provides vital practice advice for all social workers, social work managers and panel members who may be involved with assessing and/or considering applicants to adopt.

Read the book!

Building a healthy relationship between a foster carer and the child in their care is deeply rooted in trust. In this insightful conversation, Jo Francis, our Publishing Manager, sits down with Brad Kemp and Lauren Fernandes to explore what it truly means to build trust between children and their carers.  

Both Brad and Lauren played pivotal roles in the creation of our latest children’s book, Where did my dinosaur go?  Brad shares how his personal experiences in care shaped the story, while Lauren discusses the significance of illustrating a book with such an important message. 

Bradley Kemp is a care experienced individual who was in care from a young age till the age of 18. He got involved with this project to show how important it is to have trust built up between a carer and a child in care.   

Lauren Fernandes is a care experienced artist and illustrator living in Dublin with her husband, daughter, two dogs and cat.

Visit corambaaf.org.uk for more information!

Dr Karen Kenny joins Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm to discuss Karen's article in Issue 1 of Volume 47 in the Adoption & Fostering journal. It is widely acknowledged that looked after children have consistently lower educational achievements than those young people who are brought up by their birth families. Karen explains the key findings from her research and how we need to support and encourage looked after children with their education. Read more about 'The educational experiences of children in care across five decades: A new perspective on the education of looked after children in the UK'.

Visit corambaaf.org.uk for more information!

Dr Tam Cane is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sussex. Tam joins Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm to discuss Tam's article BRAC2eD model: An approach to de-bias decision-making in adoption assessments with prospective adopters from minoritised ethnic groups in Issue 1 of Volume 47 in the Adoption & Fostering journal.

In this episode of the podcast, Tam explains the BRAC2eD model for de-biasing is used to support adoption assessments of individuals and families from minoritised ethnic groups. 

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk

In the first episode of the Adoption & Fostering podcast, Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker introduce the Volume 47 Issue 1 of our journal. They talk us through Dennis' first editorial, along with the table of contents for the issue.

Our Adoption & Fostering journal podcast is dedicated to sharing the research, findings and developments of academics that focus on adoption, fostering, kinship and the children's social care sector. We have designed this podcast series to explore the articles that we publish in our online journal in a new format, and to make the content readily available and more accessible.

Our presenters, Vicky Walker (Production Editor) and Dr Dennis Golm (Journal editor) regularly meet to give you an overview of each edition of our journal, talking you through the table of contents of the quarterly issues as well as picking key points from our articles. They also meet with authors to interview them about their research, discuss their key findings and any questions that they have following the publication of their articles.

If you would like to take part in our podcast series or would like to write an article for the Adoption & Fostering journal please contact ellyse.partington@corambaaf.org.uk. If you want to listen to our podcast, browse our episodes below.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk

Live from this year's Annual Health Conference, Michelle Bell interviewed our poster presenters about the work that they are currently undertaking in the health sector.

These conversations include:

A joint Doctor and Nurse model for initial health assessments for children in care - Dr Michelle Bond, Named Doctor for Children in Care for  Brighton and Hove, and  Sue Donald,  Specialist Nurse for Children in Care for NHS Sussex.

The mental health aspect of adult assessments for prospective carers - Matilda Roberts, a medical student at Cardiff University.

Supporting the completion of health recommendations following IHA through improved patient/carer information - Kathryn Tolson, Named Nurse, and Dr Anne-Marie Chick, Specialty Doctor for Looked After Children in Oxfordshire.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/episode-23-hot-topics-and-step-past

Emma and Matt come together to explore Matt’s experiences as a gay man and a foster carer. Matt and his partner began their journey as foster carers in 2019 and had their first placement during lockdown. Matt is often faced with stigma and stereotypes, he works to challenge these stigmas and dismantle traditional gender roles whilst also providing a supportive and loving care for his young people and community.  

They talk about the positives and the fun that comes with celebrate PRIDE month as a family and why it is important to talk about the meaning and significance of being part of something bigger. He mentions how he encourages the children he cares for to authentically be themselves. Emma and Matt also discuss advice for prospective foster carers,  

Matt Taylor-Roberts (he/him) is a passionate advocate and a prominent figure in the realm of supporting LGBT+ parents/carers and their children. As the founder and Managing Director of Proud 2 b Parents.  

Emma Fincham (she/her) Emma started working at CoramBAAF in October 2021. She is a qualified social worker, with over 25 years of experience in children and young people’s services. She most recently led a fostering team in Brighton and Hove City Council for five years.

Find out more on the CoramBAAF website.

We are excited to share the latest addition to our resources aimed at supporting practitioners to work with children and young people and their online life. Developed by Dr. Vicki Walker from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Jane Poore, our Adoption Consultant, these materials will be released over the next 12-18 months. Dive into the latest podcast episode, where they explore the impact of the online world on the mental health of care-experienced children and young people.

Dr. Vicki Walker shares her belief that everyone working in education, the police, social care, and the third sector has a role in setting an example and taking action. Vicki and Jane’s work is creating tools for social workers and children’s social care professionals to start conversations with children and young people about the online world and their mental health. 

Please note that this episode contains discussions about anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide. The views in this episode belong to the participants.

Visit our website for the episode transcript and more information: The impact of the online world on the mental health of care-experienced children | CoramBAAF

Emma Fincham, CoramBAAF’s Fostering Consultant, is joined by Paul Calder and Eva Sprecher to talk about their new children’s book, Where did my dinosaur go?. This is a charming picture book about moving to live somewhere new, and learning to trust new people – ideal for children in foster care, kinship care, private fostering, and many other situations.

Paul Calder has been a foster carer for 11 years, and got involved in the book after being on an eight-week Reflective Fostering programme.

Dr Eva A Sprecher is a researcher at UCL, who works with care experienced young people and foster carers to understand how we can support young people who have lived in care with their mental health, especially through thinking about relationships.

Where did my dinosaur go? is a charming children's book about two meerkats, Mia and Kit, who do not like their new home. They don’t like their new routine, their new bedroom, or new foods for dinner – and most of all, they definitely do not like their new carer, Becky the capybara. But when the meerkats (along with their very special cuddly dinosaur toys) stay with Becky, they discover that a new home can be OK, and sometimes it’s alright to trust new people. 

Jo Francis, CoramBAAF's Publishing Manager, sat down with three members of the authorial team that worked on Where did my dinosaur go? to talk about where the idea came from, their research findings and how that impacted the story that they told.

Amelia Goswell graduated with a degree in geography from Durham University and currently works as a transport planner in London. 

Meryl Westlake is a researcher at University College London (UCL) studying mental health and risk-taking among children living in residential care. She hopes that the book can share understanding from research in a way that helps children and their foster carers have important conversations about trust. 

Dr Eva A Sprecher is a researcher at UCL, who works with care experienced young people and foster carers to understand how we can support young people who have lived in care with their mental health, especially through thinking about relationships. 

Find out more or watch the interview here: https://corambaaf.org.uk/where-did-my-dinosaur-go-author-interview

Discover firsthand insights on adoption by foster carers in our exclusive podcast interviews featuring Isla, a foster carer turned adopter, and author Elaine Dibben. Joined by Jo Francis, CoramBAAF’s Publication Manager, they delve into both the personal and practical aspects of this journey.

Elaine Dibben started her social work career in residential social work and qualified in 1988. She has over 30 years’ experience of working in adoption and fostering in local authority and voluntary adoption agency settings and is a strong advocate for the importance of securing permanence in family settings for children who cannot return to their parents’ care. She joined BAAF (now CoramBAAF) in 2004 to become manager of the Independent Review Mechanism, which she set up and ran until 2009, when she moved to take on a wider role in BAAF as a trainer/consultant, most recently as the Adoption Development Consultant for CoramBAAF until March 2021. Since April 2021, she has been working as an independent social work consultant, including chairing an RAA adoption panel and fostering panels. She is the author or co-author of a number of popular Good Practice Guides for CoramBAAF, including Adoption by Foster Carers, Fostering for Adoption and Undertaking an Adoption Assessment. 

Discover firsthand insights on adoption by foster carers in our exclusive podcast interviews featuring Isla, a foster carer turned adopter, and author Elaine Dibben. Joined by Jo Francis, CoramBAAF’s Publication Manager, they delve into both the personal and practical aspects of this journey.

Isla is a Foster Carer for a Local Authority with previous professional experiences in education and safeguarding. Her family have been on a journey for the last three years in Fostering and Adoption. The journey has been significantly longer than that of most people who apply to adopt having made their initial intention known well over two years ago (in early 2022) and they are still awaiting the final adoption order. Isla is, unsurprisingly, passionate about seeing the systems improve for all those involved in adoption.

In this episode, Dr Dennis Golm interviews Saul Hillman about their PhD, which focused on developing the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP), a tool to measure attachment in children through narratives. Saul has been involved with all phases of the longitudinal adoption study which has followed up on late- and early-placed children since placement. 

Saul Hillman is a Senior Research Fellow at Anna Freud and an Honorary Lecturer at University College London (UCL). Saul’s research has primarily focused on attachment and mentalization in both children and adolescents, especially those who are most vulnerable, such as looked-after or adopted children.  

Read the lastest article in the study, Adoptive parents’ worries and concerns about their adolescent adopted children, in Volume 48 Issue 1, March 2024 of ‘Adoption & Fostering’. 

Members, remember to sign in to your CoramBAAF website account to access any article from Adoption & Fostering. The journal is accessed via the SAGE website. 

For more information visit corambaaf.org.uk!

Listen to Joan Hunt and Helen Little talk about sibling assessment and the impact they have on children and their sibling relationships. They discuss how sibling assessments have been conducted in the past and the variables this generated. As well as covering, what sibling assessments have looked like since the introduction of CoramBAAF's Sibling Assessment Report (SAR) and how it promotes consistency across reports, and the encouragement of a multi-disciplinary approach to capture multiple voices.

Find out more and explore relevant resources on our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/co...

Post adoption depression: What is it? Who does it affect? What are we doing about it? These questions and more form part of Doctor Lynn Snow's Churchill Fellowship research. In this conversation, Jane Poore, Adoption Consultant, is joined by Doctor Lynn Snow to answer some of these questions.

Doctor Lynn Snow is a community paediatrician working as Designated Doctor for looked after children for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and has worked with looked after children for over 20 years in various roles  (including adoption adviser) in various areas of the country. She was until recently chair of the CoramBAAF National Health advisory committee and has focused on health records for children post adoption working with  DHSC and NHSE.

She has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to look at post adoption depression. She held a Fellowship with Health Education England East Midlands for two years looking at leadership in the SAS group of doctors. She has previously worked in West Africa in community child health. She is motivated by the desire to see high quality joined up services at all levels which ensure that the child in looked after child remains the focus. If you or anyone you know is affected by this topic, please speak to your social worker or GP

Churchill Fellowship - a community of change makers – has partnered with Coram to offer travel fellowships to research ideas related to children in care. Next year it could be you!

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/post-adoption-depression

In this episode, Helen Little is joined by Hetty (Hedwig) Verhagen. Hetty is a lecturer in Social Work at the University of Leads, whilst also being a therapeutic social worker, author and associate trainer.

They talk about what therapeutic interventions mean, why there was a need to develop the course, and how social workers, foster carers, adopters and others can benefit from signing up for the course.

Find out more or watch the interview on the CoramBAAF website.

Ellen Broomé welcomed Gillian Schofield and Mary Beek to talk about the new edition of their bestselling publications, The Secure Base Model and Promoting Attachment and Resilience.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Kinship Care Week (2 – 8 October 2023) is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the commitment of kinship carers and the role they play in the lives of children.

Kinship care’s profile has increased considerably over the past year but more needs to be done. This year’s theme of #DoOneThing aims to continue to raise awareness and keep the spotlight on kinship care.

To end #KinshipCareWeek, Ann Horne and Clare Seth -our Kinship Consultants - go through some of the key principles of kinship care support in our latest podcast episode.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Listen to Augusta Itua, our legal consultant, in conversation with Dr Julia Feast OBE. They talk us through the current barriers and support available to care experienced people wanting to access their records.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Listen to our conversation with CoramVoice. Linda Briheim-Crookall shares research findings from the Bright Spots Programme, and considers how 16- and 17-year-olds feel they should be supported.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Listen to our health consultant, Ellie Johnson, in discussion with our head of policy, research and development, James Bury, explore what a health assessment is and how it can be used to better the lives of children and young people.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Listen to a discussion between our legal consultant, Alexandra Conroy- Harris, and our adoption consultant, Jane Poore, about how to use your legal department in social services. This episode is part of our Members' Week programme.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Alison Davies speaks about the importance of the linking role supervising social workers play between the fostering service and foster carers.

Read the book - The role of the supervising social worker.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Clare Seth, our Kinship Consultant, interviews Chloe Hubert from Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) about their Cultural Family Life Library - a series of guides for social workers introducing them to the history and culture of families in diaspora communities in the UK. 

Chloe has a background in asylum and immigration law and has worked in various NGOs working to support women who are survivors of domestic abuse and honour based abuse and supporting migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to access justice. She has been working at CFAB for almost 4 years where she works on the Post Placement Support Service and provides holistic casework to families and young people on practical matters such as engaging with the benefits system, housing, education as well as accessing medical services and legal advice. 

CFAB initiated their Cultural Family Life Library due to serious case reviews which highlighted that social work professionals sometimes require further support to work with families whose culture or religion is unfamiliar to them. Culture-specific training can help inform practice and avoid the risk of inadvertently enabling situations that put some children at risk.  

Some professionals also feel they lack the tools or confidence to build on cultural strengths, or to question specific cultural practices, potentially hindering better outcomes for children. With one in three children born in 2022 having a foreign-born mother, it is of growing importance that social workers receive more support for working within diaspora communities. 

Please note that this conversation references child abuse, domestic abuse, genital mutilation, harmful practices, and the death of children.

For more information visit corambaaf.org.uk or https://corambaaf.org.uk/episode-25-cfabs-cultural-family-life-library

Author, Elaine Dibben talks Adoption Panels - how they operate and the importance of each panel member’s role and how they work together to ensure that each child is being placed with the right adoptive parents.

Read the book - Effective adoption panels.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

CoramBAAF Publishing Manager, Jo Francis, engages in a thoughtful conversation with author Laura Williams to explore effective strategies for handling challenging situations and, notably, preventing their occurrence. Together, they delve into the comprehensive insights provided by our Good Practice Guide, highlighting its purpose in assisting practitioners and managers in skillfully maneuvering the intricate processes associated with allegations and complaints.

Read the book - Managing allegations, concerns and complaints against foster carers.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

In this interview, Olivia Clark shares with us how the endorsement of PACE and therapeutic parenting can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of children in care, and help to strengthen the bond between a carer and the child they care for.

Olivia has been a qualified social worker for thirteen years, with ten years of experience in the fostering sector through local authority and independent practice. She is located in Devon and now works for The Fostering Network as a Practice Support Consultant.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

In this conversation about mental health, Hetty Verhagen (therapeutic social worker and university lecturer), Emma Fincham (fostering consultant) and Ellyse Partington (Digital Marketing and Engagement Officer), consider what mental health means to them.

They explore Emma's role as a mental health first aider, along with Hetty's direct work with social work practitioners.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Jo Francis talks to author Hetty Verhagen about her Parenting Matters book, Parenting a child affected by child to parent violence and aggression. 

Child to parent violence is a distressing phenomenon for any family, but it may be more common in children who have been separated from their birth family and who experienced abuse, neglect or other trauma in their early years. Aggression can become a problem at different ages and stages, and may have its roots in a variety of causes. For parents and carers of these children who are seeking to help them manage or overcome this difficulty, it is imperative that the past informs the present – to relate this early trauma to the child’s difficulties now, and to use this knowledge to inform healing and development for the child.

Read the book - Parenting Matters: Parenting a child affected by child to parent violence and aggression.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

Emma Fincham met with Charmaine Orchard, chair of CoramBAAF's Fostering Advisory Committee, to talk about her new role. They talk about Charmaine's work, Foster Care Fortnight™ and this year's theme #fosteringcommunities.

It is also an insightful conversation about current fostering policy and practice, as well as exploring their ambitions for the committee going forward. To find out more about CoramBAAF's Advisory Committiees visit our website.

Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development?

Visit our website to find out more.

In this delightful conversation CoramBAAF's Publishing Manager, Jo Francis, speaks with Jill Seeney about the success of her children's books over the years. They dig into what sparked the ideas for the stories and why they've struck a chord with social workers, carers, and kids over time.

Jill Seeney is a Fostering and Kinship Training and Development Team Manager. She has worked in fostering for many years, in a variety of roles, and previously with children as a social worker, counsellor, and French teacher. She studied psychology and educational psychology.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk!

Dr Dennis Golm is joined by author Stacey O'Sullivan, and CoramBAAF Kinship Consultant Ann Horne, to talk about this article from Volume 47, Issue 4 of the Adoption & Fostering journal.

Stacey completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2022. Currently, she works full-time as a Clinical Psychologist in an Early Years (0-4 years) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in the NHS. She offers an integrative approach in her work alongside families, namely utilising relational, values based and compassion focused approaches.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk.

Andy Phippen is a Professor of Online Harms at the Bournemouth University. Starting his career in an AI research lab in the 1990s, he has specialised in the use of ICTs in social and ethical contexts and the intersection with legislation for over 20 years, carrying out a large amount of grass roots research on issues such as attitudes toward privacy and data protection, internet safety and contemporary issues such as sexting, peer abuse and the impact of digital technology on wellbeing. He has presented written and oral evidence to parliamentary inquiries related to the use of ICTs in society, is widely published in the area and is a frequent media commentator on these issues.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk.

Special Edition: The digital turn in child and family social work: Challenges, opportunities and imagined futures

Dennis Golm is joined by two of the guest editor's for the introduction of the October special collection of the 'Adoption & Fostering journal, Volume 47 (Issue 3, October 2023). They discuss their editorial, The changing digital landscape for looked after children, and the articles from this special edition.

Before joining NTU, Dr Jennifer Simpson taught on the Social Work courses as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Northampton and was also a senior manager at The Open University. Jennifer undertook her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on the area of Looked After Children and issues related to contact, which she completed in 2012. The research aimed to capture how contact between Looked After Children and their birth families has changed as a result of 3G telecommunications and social media, and whether or not there is a tangible impact in terms of key areas of local authority care.

Prof Cath Larkins innovates in participation, activism and knowledge exchange with children and young people, and their allies, across the UK and Europe. She conducts co-research, particularly with marginalised children and young people which is focused on challenging discrimination and improving policy and practice. Working with a wide range of child and adult colleagues, she co-authors guidance to inspire social change. Her scholarship advance theories and methodologies for participation and citizenship. Her collaborative work with children and young people has led to impact on policy and practice internationally. Cath co-directs the Centre for Children and Young People's Participation at the University of Central Lancashire and the NIHR funded Social Care Rapid Evaluation Team (Socrates) with colleagues at LSE.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk.

In this episode of the podcast, Sarah Lloyd talks to Vicky and Dennis about the BUSS® model. Sarah Lloyd is a Consultant Occupational Therapist and Play Therapist and author of the BUSS® Model. Sarah worked in CAMHS for over 30 years before retiring in 2022 to head up the training and clinical teams within BUSS®. Sarah has published two books; Improving Sensory Processing in Traumatised Children, and Building Sensorimotor Systems in Children with Developmental Trauma. 

Sarah is the author of the 2023 paper, An innovative approach to working with children who have experienced developmental trauma: An introduction to the Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems (BUSS®) model, which is featured in Volume 47 Issue 2 of the journal.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk.

Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker introduce Volume 47 Issue 2 of our journal. They talk us through Dennis' editorial about the need for routine mental health support for care-experienced children and young people, along with the table of contents for the issue.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk.

Dr Tam Cane joins Jane Poore, CoramBAAF Adoption Consultant, to talk about the Adoption Framework for Diversity and Inclusion in Transracial adoption, also known as the AFDiT Framework The framework is an initiative by Adoption England, in collaboration with the University of Sussex and The British Academy.

It aims to improve positive identity outcomes for children in transracial adoption. It was developed through a process of co-creation involving social work practitioners, individuals with lived experiences of transracial adoption, and organisations including CoramBAAF and Adoption South East. The AFDiT Framework is seen as a groundbreaking publication that underscores the commitment to enhancing the adoption experience and ensuring better support for children and families involved in transracial adoption.

Dr Tam Cane is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sussex. Dr Tam Cane's research interests centre around HIV reproductive health and adoption. Over the past few years, she has researched and published peer-reviewed articles around HIV-related reproductive health, adoption, problematic and unhealthy alcohol misuse and contextual safeguarding.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk!

Intro and outro music by MoodMode - Groovy Ambient Music: https://pixabay.com/music/funk-groovy-ambient-funk-201745/

In celebration of National Adoption Week, Jane Poore is joined by Al Coates. They talk about a range of elements that were a part of Al’s journey as a parent, adopter, foster carer, and social worker. In 1999, Al and his wife Paula adopted a sibling group of three, later expanding their family by adopting two children they had fostered, followed by their sibling in 2013

Al became a qualified social worker in 2013 and, two years later, advanced to the role of a social work practice educator. With over 20 years of experience working with adoptive families and foster carers, he has dedicated his career to training and advising parents and carers on managing challenging behaviours in children.

Drawing on both his personal and professional experiences, Al is also a qualified advanced non-violent resistance practitioner, specialising in supporting families facing difficult dynamics. Beyond his hands-on work, Al is a passionate advocate for adoption-related issues, lobbying for change and raising awareness. He hosts the weekly Adoption & Fostering Podcast and contributes articles on topics such as childhood challenging, violent, and aggressive behaviour.

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk!

Intro and outro music by MoodMode - Groovy Ambient Music: https://pixabay.com/music/funk-groovy-ambient-funk-201745/

This pre-recorded video offers a taster of the benefits of joining our course ‘Making plans for staying in touch’. No two children or their families are the same. The most critical aspect of any staying in touch plan post adoption is that it allows for individual needs and situations.  

This conversation covers some of the key considerations when communicating with children and young people about their contact/staying in touch plans. Listening effectively to children and young people will help ensure that arrangements can reflect the changing needs of the child throughout childhood, teenage years and beyond. 

Lindy Wootton possesses over 35 years of valuable experience working with people in the voluntary and public sectors, serving as a trainer, practitioner, manager, project leader, mediator, and restorative justice practitioner. After qualifying as a social worker, she initially worked in child protection before transitioning to adoption. In 2013, she joined CCS Adoption, where she took on diverse roles, including managing early permanence projects and the life story work service – Sharing Stories, as well as handling assessment, training, post-adoption support, and agency decision maker. In 2022, Lindy left CCS Adoption to become an independent social work consultant, undertaking work for the National Adoption Strategy Team and delivering training as an associate trainer for CoramBAAF. Lindy holds a BSc in Social Administration, MSc in Criminal Justice Policy, MSc in Social Work, and is a qualified mediator.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/membership/members-week-2024-listening-child/staying-touch/episode-31-listening-child-staying-touch

Our Legal Consultants, Augusta Itua and Alexandra Conroy-Harris came together to talk about the structures, regimes, differences and challenges for care-experienced adults wanting to access their records. 

Augusta joined CoramBAAF in April 2023 and job-shares with Alexandra, assisting with our advice line and service delivery for our members. Augusta qualified as a Youth Justice Lawyer and previously worked at Just for Kids Law. There, she provided specialist legal advice and representation on criminal justice issues and gained experience in community care, education, and strategic litigation law. Recently, she was awarded the 2023 Churchill Fellowship, which allowed her to travel to Australia to explore ways to improve access to children’s social care files for care experienced people.  

Alexandra was called to the Bar in 1989, and spent nine years in private practice, representing children, families and local authorities, followed by nine years as a Senior Child Care Lawyer in a London local authority before joining BAAF as Legal Consultant in 2008. Her CoramBAAF role involves writing,advising, and training on all aspects of the adoption and fostering process, as well as advising the IRM Cymru. Until recently she was combining her part-time role at CoramBAAF with employment as a childcare lawyer in a North-East local authority, and now maintains hands-on experience with some private practice at the Bar. 

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/membership/members-week-2024-listening-child/identity/episode-30-access-records-what-you-need-know

James Bury, CoramBAAF’s Head of Policy, Research and Development, is joined by Anthony Lynch to tell us more about his research study “Complex Identities: An Intersectional Framework” which delves into the intricate nature of identity by examining how various social categories—such as race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, and sexual orientation—intersect and shape individual experiences. The study highlights the importance of considering these aspects of identity simultaneously to understand the unique challenges faced by individuals with complex identities. 

By incorporating insights from both academic literature and grassroots sources, Anthony’s framework sheds light on the lived experiences of mixed-heritage individuals, third culture kids, and those living in border regions or with transracial and international care backgrounds. The research aims to help organisations and policymakers better support these individuals by fostering a deeper understanding and awareness of their diverse identities. 

Anthony Lynch is a researcher and mixed-heritage adoptee working in the intersection between Lived Experience and Policy. Their work in identity began when they co-founded In-Between Lines, an award-winning exhibition for individuals belonging to multiple ethnicities, cultures, and families.  

James Bury is the Head of Policy, Research and Development at CoramBAAF. James joined CoramBAAF in January 2022. James has over 7 years’ experience working directly with children. He has worked as a children’s Guardian and Family Court Advisor at CAFCASS and as a social worker in London and Norfolk operating in a safeguarding role.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/membership/members-week-2024-listening-child/identity/episode-29-complex-identity-intersectional

Ann Horne, CoramBAAF’s Kinship Consultant, is joined by researcher and academic  Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor. As part of this year’s Members’ Week celebrations, they will be talking about the theme of identity, with insights from Sariya’s research and her key findings from past and present projects.   

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Sociology of Islam at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK. She is Chair (2020-2023) of the Muslims in Britain Research Network (MBRN). As a feminist sociologist of religion, she interrogates the power dynamics within knowledge production and the implications of the processes and systems of knowledge on society as a whole. She started undertaking research with and for children in care after starting the process to become an adopter, just under a decade ago.  

Her extensive portfolio includes projects funded by prestigious bodies like the AHRC, ESRC, and the British Academy, covering topics such as Muslim women’s experiences, religion, and the intersectional identities of care-experienced children. Cheruvallil-Contractor’s work is deeply rooted in feminist, pragmatist, and decolonising methodologies. 

Ann Horne joined CoramBAAF in February 2022 alongside jobshare partner, Clare. Ann has been a local authority social worker in children's services for 20 years. She has worked in kinship care for the last 14 years and for 7 of these co-managed a dedicated kinship care team in Brighton and Hove. Ann contributed to the development of best practice models within the Brighton and Hove Team, and some of her work locally later contributed to wider national policy developments around kinship assessments. Ann also took a lead in developing comprehensive kinship support services, ensuring kinship carers in Brighton and Hove were well served by a range of available supports. 

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/membership/members-week-2024-listening-child/identity/episode-28-gender-race-and-religion-exploring

Join us as we explore the Build Not Break campaign with our guests. In this episode hosted by James Bury, Head of Policy, Research and Development, we delve into the inspiring work of the Family Rights Group (FRG) and their mission to support children and young people in care.  

Special guests Andrew, Saima, and Sandra will share their experiences with the innovative Build Not Break campaign, which aims to ensure care-experienced individuals have enduring, positive relationships. We’ll discuss initiatives like Lifelong Links, connecting children with relatives, former carers, and other significant individuals to foster a stronger sense of identity and stability. Tune in for powerful stories, expert insights, and practical advice on building supportive relationships for those in care. 

Andrew is a family group conference and Lifelong Links practice adviser at Family Rights Group, with years of experience in education and child welfare. He specialises in training practitioners to support the relationships of children, young people, and families; strategic development; and system change. Andrew is committed to improving the lives of people who experience the sharp end of children’s social care. 

Saima is a young care care-experienced person with lived experience of Lifelong Links. Saima and her sister were in care and had limited time with their family. Lifelong Links increased the number of connections and the quality of their relationships while helping them understand their rights. 

Sandra is a Lifelong Links coordinator and a Life Story facilitator. She exemplifies the importance and the connection that Life Story work has in relation to Lifelong Links. Sandra endorses the importance of connection vicariously through young people. 

At the end of the episode, we have included a jingle about Lifelong links created by the Lifelong Links team at Brighton and Hove Council. The song features a fantastically talented care experienced young person Maddie Hughes. 

Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk!

For Kinship Care Week, Ann Horne interviewed Clare Seth about their work on the new Form K (previously known as Form C) due to be launched in January 2025. Clare shares the feedback from focus groups, including the voices of kinship carers, and how they used this to inform the development of Form K. Form K is currently being piloted within 10 local authorities across the UK. CoramBAAF hopes the revised form will improve the assessment experience for kinship carers.  We hope it will enable relationship-based assessment practice that captures their strengths and vulnerabilities, and what is important to them as a family.  

To find out more about accessing CoramBAAF forms, and forms licensing, click here.

Ann Horne, our Kinship Care Consultant, has 20 years' experience as a social worker in children's services, with 14 years focused on kinship care. She co-managed a kinship care team in Brighton & Hove, contributed to best practice models, and helped shape national kinship assessment policies. Ann also developed comprehensive support services for kinship carers. 

Clare Seth, also our Kinship Care Consultant, is a qualified social worker with over 20 years' experience in children’s services, specialising in kinship care and adoption assessment and support. She has managed teams in Brighton & Hove and worked as a freelance social worker for the last four years, focusing on kinship. Clare is also a qualified trainer with experience delivering support programmes in Sussex.

Leonie is the CEO and co-founder of Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN). She is an advocate for the rights of care leavers and people who are victims of institutional abuse. Leonie has given several major presentations including at the UN in Geneva and received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/access-records/childrens-social-care-files/access-and-support-rights-childrens-social

Frank Golding is an author, researcher, activist and historian. His childhood as a Ward of the State of Victoria in Australia in the ‘care’ of three foster mothers and three institutions underpins his active involvement in Care Leaver issues as an advocate and lobbyist.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/access-records/childrens-social-care-files/access-and-support-rights-childrens-social

Barbara Reed is a consultant in the field of records, archives and information management with more than 25 years of industry experience in in all levels of Australian government, private sector and not-for-profits. She been active as a trainer and recordkeeping professional, and has played a major role in the development of Australian and international standards for records management, digitisation, recordkeeping metadata and whole-of-government initiatives. 

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/access-records/childrens-social-care-files/access-and-support-rights-childrens-social

Helen Little, Training, Consultancy, and Events Manager, sat down with Marrianne Palin, Associate Trainer at CoramBAAF, to discuss effective ways to engage with children and truly understand their thoughts and feelings. 

During the conversation, Marrianne shared various techniques for direct work with children, offering insights into what these approaches look like in practice, along with practical tools that can be implemented in everyday work with young people. 

Marrianne Palin qualified as a social worker in 2002, and with a wealth of experience in child protection and family placement social work. She holds a degree in social work, along with a PGCE. Since 2016, she has been working as a trainer while simultaneously practicing in the field. Apart from her role at CoramBAAF, Marianne serves as an associate trainer for AFKA Cymru and works part-time in adoption. During her tenure with AFKA Cymru, she contributed to a number of National Adoption Service Wales' good practice guides. Marianne's primary areas of expertise encompass fostering, adoption, permanency planning, and life story work. 

Helen Little joined CoramBAAF in 2023. Latterly, she was Learning and Development Manager for almost 8 years at Langley House Trust. The learning and development function she developed for Langley now offers an extensive programme for staff and managers whether that be face to face, virtual, e-learning or coaching. Reflecting on her career to date, she can see that this new role for CoramBAAF draws on the many parts of it from the beginning in the hospitality and conferences industry to running her own learning and development consultancy for over 18 years, designing and delivering a range of programmes for clients across many sectors.

In this discussion on school exclusions, Augusta Itua, Legal Consultant at CoramBAAF, is joined by Richard to highlight the support and resources available for children and their families. 

The conversation focuses on the pressing issue of school exclusions, covering recent research, the legal framework, and offering practical guidance for parents, carers, and guardians navigating this complex area. 

School exclusion occurs when a school removes a pupil from the educational setting, either temporarily or permanently. This can include suspensions (also known as fixed-term or fixed-period exclusions) or permanent removal from the school roll. 

Exclusions can have serious, long-term consequences on a child's education, mental health, and future opportunities. Research from the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory indicates that excluded children are more likely to leave school without qualifications and are at increased risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. 

Richard is part of Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC), which promotes and protects the rights of children in the UK and internationally in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.   

Augusta Itua joined CoramBAAF in April 2023 and job-shares with Alexandra Conroy-Harris, assisting with our advice line and service delivery for our members. Augusta qualified as a Youth Justice Lawyer and previously worked at Just for Kids Law. There, she provided specialist legal advice and representation on criminal justice issues and gained experience in community care, education, and strategic litigation law.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/membership/members-week-2024-listening-child/working-schools/episode-32-support-available-children

Looked-after children face significant challenges in school, often due to poor collaboration between teachers and social workers, which can hinder their progress. Effective teamwork between these professionals can greatly benefit these children by providing more consistent support for their educational and emotional needs.  

Clear communication, sharing information about the child's development, and understanding each other's roles are essential for improving outcomes. Policy changes and successful models from other countries offer valuable insights, while families and communities can also play a key role in fostering better collaboration. 

Listen to Ellyse Hinder, Senior Marketing and Engagement Officer for CoramBAAF, talk with Sylvia Ikomi and Lorna Stabler about how social workers and teachers, or those working in education, can come together to help looked after children and young people. 

Sylvia Ikomi is a lecturer and qualified teacher. She delivers Continuous Professional Development training that is aimed at raising professionals’ awareness of the adultification of Black girls within the education and social care sectors. 

Lorna Stabler currently works with CASCADE as a Research Associate. She is a Chief Investigator on an NIHR study focused on understanding how Family Group Conferences can be embedded in statutory child and family social work. Lorna is also Principal Investigator for a Nuffield Foundation funded study focused on Special Guardianship Orders in Wales.

Find out more: https://corambaaf.org.uk/membership/members-week-2024-listening-child/working-schools/episode-33-bringing-social-workers-andv