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 evidence seminar will explore how family time (or ‘contact’) is managed and experienced during an early permanence placement. It will consider the perspectives of birth parents, early permanence carers and practitioners including the family time Supervisor, Adoption Social Worker and Children’s Social Worker, as well as the experience of infants.

The seminar will primarily draw on up-to-date research findings from Ruth Copson’s PhD study, and will consider the following:

• Family time arrangements – parents’ and carers’ experiences and how best to manage practical arrangements
• How infants respond to contact (with the focus of the study being on infants 12 months and under)
• The purpose of family time – how different people involved in contact have different objectives and views on the process
• How parents and carers navigate their parental identity during the EP process
• How relationships develop between parents and carers, and the challenges and benefits of these relationships
• The role of the Family Time Worker
• Building on the foundation of Family Time in EP for more meaningful post-adoption connections

“Hearing about the research was really useful. It unpacked how Family Time is for all participants and gave examples of ways it can be made more manageable for all concerned” – Attendee, 2023

Ruth will be joined by experienced concurrency contact supervisor Caroline Cronshaw from Caritas Care, who will share hints and tips on supporting and managing family time from a practice perspective.

You will have the opportunity to have discussions regarding your own practice with colleagues, and reflect on good practice examples as well as think about how to manage challenges related to supporting family time in EP placements.

“It certainly stretched my thinking about Family Time – particularly the different agendas those involved may have that aren’t always articulated.” – Attendee, 2023

Learning outcomes

• Consider and understand the unique challenges and benefits that are present in family time in EP
• Understand the different purposes and meanings that parents, carers and practitioners ascribe to family time
• Understand what support parents, carers and infants may need in relation to family time in EP
• Understand links between family time in EP and post-adoption keeping in touch arrangements
• Have the opportunity for reflection and discussion with colleagues from different agencies

About the trainer

Ruth Copson

Ruth Copson is a doctoral researcher at the University of East Anglia. Her PhD research explores how Family Time in Early Permanence placements is managed and experienced by parents, carers, infants and practitioners. Ruth is an experienced adoption social worker and has previously taken a lead role in managing Early Permanence placements for a local authority. She is also currently working as a Senior Research Associate at UEA on an evaluation of Early Permanence projects, undertaken in support of the National Adoption Strategy.

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, 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

Early permanence placements are complex and need careful planning from the recruitment of adopters through to the placement of a child. Each placement is unique and shapes how we continually adapt our practice.

In this practice session, together with Practice Managers Kate Knowles and Julie Hogan, we will explore some of the issues regarding Concurrent Planning Placements.  Ruth Copson will share her research that is currently being undertaken into family time for Children in Early Permanence Placements and in particular some of the lived experiences of parents.

Julie and Kate will go on to explore some of the good experiences regarding family time in the service, along with a discussion of developments and challenges within the service.   We will round up the session with sharing some helpful hints and tips to take away.

 “Hearing about the benefits of early permanency, what works well, what hasn’t worked and the sharing of this learning which would be useful for us in Wales to consider as we are in the early stages of considering Early Permanency as practice. I was impressed with the delivery which came from practitioners own experience” – Attendee, June 2022

The Concurrent Planning service is a joint service run by Caritas Care and Adoption Matters. Since its inception in 2014 they have placed over 180 children in concurrent planning placements across the North West. They have also been involved in the rehabilitation of 17 children to birth parents or family members. There has been a lot of learning on the way and this continues to be the case. This event will consider lessons learnt and good practice of Family time for concurrent planning placements. This knowledge has been gained from supporting carers over the past eight years.

“I liked how the challenges of early permanence was highlighted and discussed including pointers to help in overcoming these. I also liked the videos as it brought the differing perspectives to life. It was very practical and gave a sense of the reality of the benefits and challenges!” – Attendee, June 2021

We are really looking forward to sharing what Concurrent Planning Service have learnt about what works well alongside the challenges they have experienced

Learning outcomes

• Learning from effective assessments and the qualities we are looking for from our carers
• Effective supporting of carers
• Lessons learnt from working with the Local Authorities, referrals and the type of backgrounds of children that are placed by the service
• Reflecting on the learning from our rehabilitations that have taken place

About the trainers

Kate Knowles, Julie Hogan & Ruth Copson

Kate qualified as a social worker in 2003 after working for several years with homeless women and children. Kate has experience of children and families social work, working in the fostering service at Caritas Care for 12 years and developing specialist scheme for older children seeking permanence of adoption via a fostering route. Kate was involved in the early stages of setting up the Concurrent Planning Service since 2013, a joint service between Caritas Care and adoption Matters, undertaking the role of Team Manager in March 2016. Kate has been a passionate advocate of concurrent planning and believes strongly in the value that it has for early permanence within the care system.

Julie qualified as a social worker in 1999 and has over 20 years’ experience of children and families social work ranging from safeguarding, family support and adoption. Julie has prior experience of concurrent planning; having previously been employed by Manchester Adoption Society within the Goodman Team (Concurrent Planning).  Julie has always been passionate about concurrent planning and achieving early permanence for children and as a result joined Adoption Matters to work within Concurrent Planning Service in January 2015.   Julie is currently a Practice Manager within the Concurrent Planning Service.

Ruth is currently a doctoral researcher of East Anglia undertaking a PhD. Her current research is looking at the time that parents spend with their children when they live with Early Permanence carers.

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

Learning outcomes

• Learning from effective assessments and the qualities we are looking for from our carers
• Effective supporting of carers
• Lessons learnt from working with the Local Authorities, referrals and the type of backgrounds of children that are placed by the service
• Reflecting on the learning from our rehabilitations that have taken place

About the trainer

Kate Knowles qualified as a social worker in 2003 after working for several years with homeless women and children. Kate has experience of children and families social work, working in the fostering service at Caritas Care for 12 years and developing specialist scheme for older children seeking permanence of adoption via a fostering route. Kate was involved in the early stages of setting up the Concurrent Planning Service since 2013, a joint service between Caritas Care and adoption Matters, undertaking the role of Team Manager in March 2016. Kate has been a passionate advocate of concurrent planning and believes strongly in the value that it has for early permanence within the care system.

Julie Hogan qualified as a social worker in 1999 and has over 20 years’ experience of children and families social work ranging from safeguarding, family support and adoption. Julie has prior experience of concurrent planning; having previously been employed by Manchester Adoption Society within the Goodman Team (Concurrent Planning).  Julie has always been passionate about concurrent planning and achieving early permanence for children and as a result joined Adoption Matters to work within Concurrent Planning Service in January 2015.   Julie became a Team Manager within the Concurrent Planning Service in March 2016.

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.