Episodes
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Dr Dennis Golm (Journal Editor) and Jo Francis (Publications Manager) introduce Volume 48 Issue 2 of our Adoption & Fostering journal.
They talk us through Dennis' editorial about âBreaking the taboo: Letâs talk about child-to-parent violenceâ, and talk us through each article in this issue.
For more information about the journal or the table of contents for the issue, click here. Members, remember to sign in to access the journal.
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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/
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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 Alâs 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/
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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. Weâll 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 childrenâs 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!
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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 childrenâs 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.
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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
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Frank Golding is an author, researcher, activist and historian. His childhood as a Ward of the State of Victoria in Australia in the âcareâ 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
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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
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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.
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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 Childrenâs 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
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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 professionalsâ 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
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This pre-recorded video offers a taster of the benefits of joining our course âMaking plans for staying in touchâ. 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 â 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
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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 childrenâs 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
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James Bury, CoramBAAFâs Head of Policy, Research and Development, is joined by Anthony Lynch to tell us more about his research study âComplex Identities: An Intersectional Frameworkâ which delves into the intricate nature of identity by examining how various social categoriesâsuch as race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, and sexual orientationâintersect 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, Anthonyâs 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 yearsâ experience working directly with children. He has worked as a childrenâs 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
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Ann Horne, CoramBAAFâs Kinship Consultant, is joined by researcher and academic Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor. As part of this yearâs Membersâ Week celebrations, they will be talking about the theme of identity, with insights from Sariyaâs 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 womenâs experiences, religion, and the intersectional identities of care-experienced children. Cheruvallil-Contractorâs 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
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In this episode, we dive into the insights from our latest Good Practice Guide, Exploring and assessing motivations to adopt. Jo Francis, CoramBAAFâs 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.
ABOUT THE BOOKThis 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 â with an eye to providing thoughtful and analytical assessment. It also explores the key importance of applicantsâ 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!
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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 childrenâs 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!
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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). Saulâs 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 parentsâ worries and concerns about their adolescent adopted children, in Volume 48 Issue 1, March 2024 of âAdoption & Fosteringâ.
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!
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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
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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!
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