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

This evidence seminar is an introduction to the UEA model for supporting children’s moves to adoption and will be delivered by the Moving to Adoption team at the University of East Anglia. The UEA model was developed in the Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of East Anglia, UK. The research and development team were Elsbeth Neil, Mary Beek and Gillian Schofield.

“I liked hearing of the experiences and how the model is being used within other agencies and the successes of this. It gave me lots to think about particularly stage 1 and 3 of the model and how we can develop this better within our agency.” – Attendee, 2023

The UEA model aims to address concerns that when children move to an adoptive family, their feelings of loss and separation can be overlooked. This is especially so when moves happen over a short time period and when contact with foster carers is abruptly cut off. The model is underpinned by a framework for providing therapeutic caregiving in foster care and adoption, the Secure Base model.

“I thought the trainer delivered the course brilliantly. She had a lot of knowledge and experience too.” – Attendee, 2023

The UEA model is not prescriptive about timescales or the details of planning for the move. Rather, it suggests some ‘key principles’ that should be held in mind and applied flexibly according to individual needs and the particular circumstances of each move.  Each move should place the child’s emotional needs at the centre, while also supporting the foster carers and the adopters.

Together we will explore the model outlining three key stages of the child’s move to adoption, as follows:

• Stage 1: Getting to know each other
• Stage 2: Making the move
• Stage 3: Supporting relationships after the move

Learning 0utcomes

• The theory and research behind the UEA model
• Exploring and learning about each of the three stages, illustrated by case examples
• The benefits and challenges of using the model will be highlighted, looking specifically at how to apply and support the UEA Moving to Adoption model within the VAA sector
• Opportunities for reflection and discussion
• Practical takeaways and training materials

About the trainer

Anne Murphy

Anne is a Postgraduate Researcher in the School of Social Work at the University of East Anglia. She was part of the Moving to Adoption project team during the implementation period and is a co-author on their guidance for applying the model during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

This evidence seminar is an introduction to the UEA model for supporting children’s moves to adoption and will be delivered by the Moving to Adoption team at the University of East Anglia. The UEA model was developed in the Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of East Anglia, UK. The research and development team were Elsbeth Neil, Mary Beek and Gillian Schofield.

The UEA model aims to address concerns that when children move to an adoptive family, their feelings of loss and separation can be overlooked. This is especially so when moves happen over a short time period and when contact with foster carers is abruptly cut off. The model is underpinned by a framework for providing therapeutic caregiving in foster care and adoption, the Secure Base model.

The UEA model is not prescriptive about timescales or the details of planning for the move. Rather, it suggests some ‘key principles’ that should be held in mind and applied flexibly according to individual needs and the particular circumstances of each move.  Each move should place the child’s emotional needs at the centre, while also supporting the foster carers and the adopters.

Together we will explore the model outlining three key stages of the child’s move to adoption, as follows:

• Stage 1: Getting to know each other
• Stage 2: Making the move
• Stage 3: Supporting relationships after the move

Learning 0utcomes

• The theory and research behind the UEA model
• Exploring and learning about each of the three stages, illustrated by case examples
• The benefits and challenges of using the model will be highlighted, looking specifically at how to apply and support the UEA Moving to Adoption model within the VAA sector
• Opportunities for reflection and discussion
• Practical takeaways and training materials

About the trainer

Anne Murphy

Anne is a Postgraduate Researcher in the School of Social Work at the University of East Anglia. She was part of the Moving to Adoption project team during the implementation period and is a co-author on their guidance for applying the model during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.