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, foster carers, kinship carers and other professionals working with children and families.

Details

This bespoke evidence seminar delivered by Dr Morvwen Duncan will explore how adoption practitioners can provide comprehensive and well-informed mental health support for adopted teenagers and help adoptive parents do the same.

We will discuss the unique challenges faced by adopted teenagers, emphasizing the crucial aspect of identity formation during adolescence. Our agenda includes insightful sessions on the prevalence of mental health difficulties, risk factors analysis, and practical applications of renowned models like Kim Golding’s Pyramid of Needs and Bronfrenbrenner’s framework. Develop skills in the identification and onward referral treatment of adopted teenagers based on NICE guidelines, with hands-on case studies for practical application.

You will have an opportunity to engage in enriching discussions, hands-on case studies, and smaller group tasks to refine your skills in the identification and onward referral treatment of adopted teenagers based on NICE guidelines, with hands-on case studies for practical application. You will be equipped with practical tools to support adopted parents, navigate identity issues, and implement effective strategies.

By the end of this webinar, you will have acquired a well-rounded skill set, enabling you to navigate the complexities of supporting the mental health of adopted teenagers with confidence and effectiveness.

Learning outcomes

• Gain insights into the distinctive challenges faced by adopted teenagers, fostering a deeper understanding of their mental health needs
• Explore the intricacies of identity formation during adolescence
• Apply theoretical knowledge on the prevalence of mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and conduct disorder
• Develop skills in the identification and onward referral treatment
• Acquire strategies to support adopted parents
• Develop a toolkit for addressing self-harm concerns and implement ACT/CBT strategies to provide comprehensive support for mental health challenges
• Embrace a holistic approach to mental health support, integrating theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and empathetic strategies to make a positive impact on the well-being of adopted teenagers

About the trainer

Dr Morvwen Duncan

Dr Morvwen Duncan is a HCPC (The Health and Care Professions Council) registered Clinical Psychologist and the founder & director of The Lotus Psychology Practice. She currently works across private practice, as an Expert Witness to the Family Courts and within the NHS as the Lead in a Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team.

Dr Duncan is experienced in working with children and young people of all ages, including children with complex needs due to neurodevelopmental co-morbidities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Dr Duncan has particular expertise in working with looked after and adopted children, having worked within the Tavistock Fostering and Adoption Team and at Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Attachment and Trauma Team.

Dr Duncan is also actively involved in research, having spoken at international conferences with several academic publications across a range of areas of mental health.

Instructions

A member of staff will be in touch with attendees one week before 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.

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, foster carers, kinship carers, designated teachers, and other professionals working with children and families.

Details

In this training session we will hear from Dr Zoe Webb, a clinical psychologist with whom we explore how to best support adoptive families to understand developmental trauma and mental health needs of young people. We will consider different strategies to help adoptive parents to differentiate between behaviour linked to trauma and ‘expected’ types of behaviour linked to their level of development.

“All the speakers were great. Mel seemed very approachable and was open about her own misgivings and how her own practice had developed. Aaron and Dani were fabulous! Such insightful, well articulated, engaging and friendly young people. All the speakers made the webinar an absolute pleasure to attend.” – Attendee, June 2021

We will then hear from senior practitioners at Scottish Adoption and learn from the lived experience and reflections facilitated by their young ambassadors on the issues as they see it, that are at play during adolescence. We will discuss the need to explore their identity, the need to separate from their adoptive parents and their need to see their birth family.

“[I liked…] the expertise and experience of the facilitators on this particular topic, and the contribution of the people who were adopted. Their generosity in sharing their experiences was very powerful and made the webinar even more meaningful.” – Attendee, June 2021

During this training you will be able to network with fellow practitioners from other agencies, share best practice and glean new ideas.

Learning outcomes

• Explore strategies to support adoptive parents in understanding developmental trauma and mental health needs of young people, including differentiating between behavior linked to trauma and ‘expected’ behavior linked to development level.
• Understand the experiences and reflections of young ambassadors facilitated by senior practitioners at Scottish Adoption on issues at play during adolescence, such as exploring identity, separating from adoptive parents, and the need to see birth family.
• Network with fellow practitioners from other agencies, share best practices, and gain new ideas.
• Gain insight into the perspectives of adoptive families and how to better support them in navigating the unique challenges of raising children who have experienced developmental trauma

About the trainers

Melanie Thomson 

Melanie Thomson is the Children’s Worker at Scottish Adoption. In addition to proving post adoption support to children and their families, Melanie facilitates a number of different groups for adopted children and young people. Melanie strongly believes in the power of group work within post adoption support and alongside her team of Adoption Ambassadors, manages the @TeenTalk social media channel https://www.scottishadoption.org/teentalk/ where the aim is create an online adoption community for children and young people and educate the wider world via their lived experience.

Dr Zoe Webb

Dr Zoe Webb, BSc, PhD, DClinPsy, is a qualified child and adolescent clinical psychologist with over ten years experience of working with young people & their families. Having worked previously within Child and Adolescent Mental Health services in the NHS, she has been in full-time independent practice since 2015. Zoe works therapeutically with both young people and adults, individually, dyadically or systemically on a range of mental health & well-being difficulties (inc. anxiety, depression, anger, self-harm etc..) with a specialist interest in developmental trauma & attachment difficulties. She is trained in the core therapeutic models used within clinical psychology practice (inc. CBT, systemic, and narrative) and has completed additional training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP; certified practitioner), Theraplay (to level 2), the Dynamic Maturational Model of attachment, The Meaning of the Child, Child Attachment & Play Assessment (CAPA), and EMDR (level 1 & child).

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.

Who this is for

Adoption practitioners and managers (Voluntary Adoption Agencies, Regional Adoption Agencies and Local Authorities) and Independent Professionals.

Details

Group work for young people who are adopted can have immediate and long lasting impact on not only children and their families lives, but also enrich your organisation as a whole. By utilizing service users lived experience, organisations can be enabled to develop a better understanding of the life-long impact of adoption, what’s needed and when. Learning from the lived experience influences every part of how an agency connects with the adoption triangle.

“All the speakers were great. Mel seemed very approachable and was open about her own misgivings and how her own practice had developed. Aaron and Dani were fabulous! Such insightful, well articulated, engaging and friendly young people. All the speakers made the webinar an absolute pleasure to attend.” – Attendee, June 2021

Scottish Adoption has been running young people’s groups for over 12 years. Within this time, the influence of the impact of these young people’s groups on the practice and structure of the agency cannot be underestimated.

“[I liked…] the expertise and experience of the facilitators on this particular topic, and the contribution of the people who were adopted. Their generosity in sharing their experiences was very powerful and made the webinar even more meaningful.” – Attendee, June 2021

As part of our commitment to #keepthepromise we would like to share our knowledge base on setting up and establishing a young people’s adoption group work programme.

This training will be facilitated by Melanie Thomson, Scottish Adoption Children’s Worker and Dani Armstrong, Adoption Ambassador.

Learning outcomes

• exploring the benefits of teen work
• practical skills to start a group
• realising our young people’s aspiration that all adopted young people should have access to an adoption support group

About the trainer

Melanie Thomson is the Children’s Worker at Scottish Adoption. In addition to proving post adoption support to children and their families, Melanie facilitates a number of different groups for adopted children and young people. Melanie strongly believes in the power of group work within post adoption support and alongside her team of Adoption Ambassadors, manages the @TeenTalk social media channel https://www.scottishadoption.org/teentalk/ where the aim is create an online adoption community for children and young people and educate the wider world via their lived experience.

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.