Events archive

Annual Reviews are an essential part of our statutory support and supervision of foster carers. In this open course, we explore how to complete an annual review well. We explore how to ensure the review meets the needs of the Fostering Service to be legally compliant, but also of carers to feel valued and supported, whilst keeping children at the centre of the process.

FREE FOR MEMBERS
In partnership with St Mary’s University, Surrey Virtual School and Achieving for Children Virtual School launched a research project to explore the educational barriers faced by children in kinship care. A key outcome was the creation of a Padlet, an online resource hub offering accessible, targeted information and guidance for kinship carers. Each Virtual School developed a Padlet tailored to local support services, combining general advice with specific educational resources. In this session, we will be exploring the implementation of the Padlet, and how it could be used in social work more widely.

OPEN TO ALL
Safer Internet Day is a global initiative to promote safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. This years theme is on how to support care experienced young people navigate emerging AI technologies.

Panel advisers have a complex role in managing the relationship between the agency and the panel, quality assuring and feeding back to all involved in panel work. This open course will enable panel advisors to examine this role in detail and build on effective practice as they carry out their role and responsibilities including: quality assurance; inducting new panel members; contributing to the appraisals of panel members; feeding back issues to the agency and working with the agency decision maker. Case scenarios, group work and practice application will provide opportunities for panel advisors to address shared dilemmas and good practice.

OPEN TO ALL
As the government advances its latest fostering reforms, all fostering services are facing significant changes to policy, practice and guidance. We are delighted to welcome the Department for Education to speak to us about these reforms.

This course provides supervising social workers the opportunity to develop their practice and confidence in these areas. It will include a review their role and responsibilities in relation to foster carers and promote the development of best practice.

The responsibilities of a Chair can be considerable. Whereas some duties may be clearly outlined in related practice guidance along with the qualities that ensure effective chairing, not all Chair responsibilities are so helpfully detailed or provided. This workshop will explore general planning for and facilitation of panels and complex meetings in the children’s sector. It will explore time management and group facilitation whilst holding the child at the centre of thinking, recommendations and decision making. It will enable Chairs of meetings to consider good practice and approaches to effectively managing the flow of information, summarising and the formation of key action plans.

FREE FOR MEMBERS.
Hear from Polly Baynes, a children and families social worker with over 36 years of experience. Polly's research explores the experiences of 10 mothers and fathers of keeping in touch with children who were no longer in their care, using photographs and interviews. Contact provided an important but limited opportunity to express a continued sense of parental responsibility. Parents used familiar food, toys and children’s belongings to maintain connections to their past shared life with the child and as expressions of loving care across the boundaries of placement and into the future. The research shows there is potential for family time settings to provide increased support in the aftermath of separation to the benefit of both parent and child, improving the prospects of safe reunification and positive long term connections.        

Decision makers in fostering and adoption agencies have a vital but often under-explored role. Many decision makers describe finding themselves in the role with little or no preparation, and with few arenas locally to share dilemmas or discuss best practice. What is the best process for reaching a sound decision? How can you avoid it simply becoming a ‘rubber-stamping’ exercise? What is your role in relation to the quality assurance of the panel’s activities? How should a decision maker appraise a panel chair? What does a reasonable decision look like? How should it be conveyed?

This two-day open course will provide practitioners and particularly those who may be new to undertaking, quality assuring or considering fostering assessments with an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and practice in completing fostering assessments. This workshop may also provide a refresher for those wanting to reflect and build on knowledge skills and best practice in the completion of fostering assessments.