Adoption Assessments of Second-time Adopters: Considering Best Practice

Who this is for

Adoption practitioners and managers (Voluntary Adoption Agencies, Regional Adoption Agencies, Local Authorities, and independent social workers), children’s social care services, children and family social workers and other professionals working with children and families.

Details

In this practice webinar, we will be exploring how we support our prospective adopters when they wish to adopt for the second time. As an adoption agency, this starts from the point of referral, into assessment, right through to supporting the placement itself.

During the webinar, we will uncover the nuances of adopting again and navigating the intricacies of a second adoption. Together we will learn effective strategies for nurturing a harmonious relationship among adopted siblings and we will learn to understand how to prepare an existing child for the arrival of an adopted sibling.

“Good quality of presentation, helpful slides, useful opportunities for discussion, enjoyed having the adopter’s input.” -Attendee, 2023

Donna and Ayesha will discuss navigating the challenges of transitions with another child in the family and will explore methods for completing life story work when your children’s backgrounds differ.

We will also explore the topic of keeping in touch arrangements with children’s birth relatives when they vary between adopted children.

“The trainers were open and honest about areas of learning and development of practice for them as an agency and they were approachable and relatable.” -Attendee, 2023

This webinar is essential for adoption professionals involved in the assessment processes. From understanding the dynamics of adopting again to practical tips on sibling relationships and transitioning, this session provides valuable knowledge to enrich your services.

Learning 0utcomes

• The rewards and challenges of adopting again
• Parenting adoption siblings
• Preparing their 1^st child for welcoming an adopted sibling
• Managing transitions with another child
• Completing life story work when their children’s backgrounds are different
• How to manage differing contact arrangements
• Learning from Serious case reviews of second-time adopters – themes and what to consider

About the trainers

Donna Mease

Donna is a highly skilled and experienced social worker specialising in supporting children and families through the transition into adoption. Donna is responsible for co-ordinating ARC’s Therapeutic Adoption Support Service and is trained in Theraplay; DDP and Therapeutic work with Looked After Children, including Therapuetic Life Story Work.  She leads a highly skilled and committed team to ensure ARC Adoption offers the best possible support tailored to the individual needs of children and their adoptive families.

Ayesha Foster

Ayesha has worked with children for over 25 years and started her career as a nursery nurse. She is a highly skilled social worker who is committed to improving outcomes for children and families involved in adoption. She transferred to the position of Social Work Assistant in a busy Children’s Team in Newcastle in 2001 where she was seconded to undertake a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Durham University. In July 2006 she then spent two years working within child protection, children in need and looked after children teams. Ayesha then moved to North Tyneside’s Adoption Team and completed focused work with adopters on concurrency and foster to adopt placements. During her time with the local authority, Ayesha continued her professional development and gained the PQ Specialist Child Care award in 2012. Ayesha joined ARC Adoption at its inception in 2014 and is proud of her contribution to the agency’s success.

Instructions

A member of staff will be in touch with attendees one week prior to the event to share a pre-event delegate pack.

If you have any questions regarding this webinar, please contact us at info@cvaa.org.uk. We will aim to answer your query within two working days.

CVAA accept online payments only. In case you do not have instant access to your company card, we suggest using your personal card instead to book a training event and claim it back with your agency in your expenses. Requesting an invoice to pay for our standard practice events is not possible.