Our Training Events

Date:  5 November, 2021

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

The Permanence, Adoption and Kinship Care Orders are just the beginning for children and families moving towards the hope of a settled life. We know that ongoing support and advice from professionals is vital in sustaining these relationships.

This year’s legal conference will explore how to future proof plans and Orders so as to reduce the risk of disruption; post adoption support; through care and after care for children who are no longer looked after; the terms of Kinship Care Orders and applications to vary these and working with the birth mother who no longer has any rights or responsibilities for her child.

This will be a virtual meeting but break out rooms will provide delegates with an opportunity to share views and experiences.

For more information and to download a booking form, please click here

Date:  Thursday 2 December 2021

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Ravinder Kaur

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

The role of the minute taker in adoption and fostering panels is a crucial one.  Adoption and fostering panels are underpinned by specific legal and regulatory requirements.  Therefore, minute takers need to ahve a sufficient understanding of these requirements in order to produce a minute that is relevant, clear and appropriate.  For further information, and to download a booking form, click here

Date:  Wednesday 1 December 2021

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitators:  Jane Steele & Anne Thom

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

The assessment of family members and known adults as kinship carers for a child or young person unable to live with their birth family is one of the most complex that a worker can undertake.  It is only through the completion of practice in the assessments that decisions can be made in the child’s best interest.  This workshop will look at good practice in the assessment of any alternative family carers as well as key differences in the assessment of kinship carers.  Issues of power and partnership as well as risk assessment will also be considered.  For further information and to download a booking form, please click here

This post qualifying course is aimed at social workers and managers in children and families’ teams, family placement teams as well as other specialist settings across the statutory, voluntary and independent sector. Applicants will require the support of their employer to attend as well as validate their work. It is imperative that sponsoring agencies ensure their nominated students have the motivation, capacity and commitment to complete the course.  Please note this course will be delivered virtually using an online platform.

The course is at MSc Level 11 and attracts an award of 60 credits (postgraduate certificate) which can be taken forward to further study. The course is validated by Strathclyde University.

The introductory session for students and their managers will be on the 2nd September 2021. The course requires virtual attendance at three taught modules of three consecutive days per module between September 2021 and January 2022. Assessment will be on the basis of three written assignments as well as an assessed observation. The final assignment is due in March 2022. Comprehensive feedback is available to students. A student handbook will provide all the required information.

For further information on dates and costs, please click here

Date:  Tuesday 16 November 2021

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Lindsey Dunbar, Associate Trainer

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

This workshop will look at the co-ordination of adoption placements and will consider good practice when children are moving to permanent foster placements, how children and young people can be helped to successfully move and, the perspectives of the different people involved in transitions.

It will look at common pitfalls and dilemmas and be able to share good practice with the opportunity to consider the model devised by the University of East Anglia and think about how this model can be adapted to work in our own area.   

This workshop is suitable for Social Workers who are new to moving children on and also as a refresher course for those who are keen to think about different facets of this complex work. It will also be suitable for children's Social Workers who are keen to learn more about good practice in settling children in permanent placements.

For further information and to download a booking form, please click here

Date:  Tuesday 19 October 2021

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Jane Steele, Trainer/Consultant

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

The role of the supervising social worker is a complex one, with many different elements including managerial, supervisory, educative and support functions.

This workshop provides supervising social workers with the opportunity to consider how the role has evolved, the various strands of their work with foster carers and how to support and challenge foster carers in supervision. Ways of responding to concerns about the quality of care will also be considered.

For further information and to download a booking form, please click here

Date:  Wednesday 3 February 2022

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Ravinder Kaur, Trainer/Consultant

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

Chairing adoption and fostering panels require a key set of knowledge, skills and values which are essential to promoting positive outcomes for children. 

The business of panels is complex, they make recommendations about the adoption and permanence plans for children, approve foster carers and adopters and consider matches. They also oversee the reviews of foster carers and adopters. 

In addition, the provisions of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 allow any agency decision to be reviewed or ‘appealed’ and this also falls under the remit of these panels.  Whilst experience of chairing other meetings is helpful, there are unique aspects to chairing panels which will form the basis of this workshop.

This workshop invites new panels chairs to apply, and it may also be of interest to experienced panel members and agency decision makers.  For further details and to download a booking form, please click here

Date:  Tuesday 28 September 2021

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Rhona Pollock

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

There will be times when the practitioner needs to interview a child to establish the facts of the case and ascertain the child’s truth. To be effective, the adult must be child centred and child driven, acknowledging the child’s feelings and needs and responding to the child’s concerns.  It requires forming a rapport, building trust, explaining roles and most importantly helping the child to understand their own rights and responsibilities in the process. Successful interview techniques rely on using the appropriate communication tools.  This is a vital aspect of our jobs as adults involved in child welfare. How do we make sure we are achieving this while complying with the new and existing domestic and international legislation and aspiring to keep The Promise?

This workshop will equip the practitioner with knowledge of the legislation, case law and guidance while drawing on research and protocols in an interactive, safe and informed environment.  For further information and to download a booking form, please click here

Date:  Thursday 3 March 2022

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Ravinder Kaur, Trainer/Consultant

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

The expectations of the panel adviser can vary across different agencies, so this workshop will look at the core requirements of the role in terms of quality assurance, maintaining consistency, providing and promoting a feedback loop and supporting everyone involved in panels to participate as fully as possible. It is a complex and at times, a challenging role and therefore discussions will take place in a supportive and safe environment.    

This workshop invites existing panel advisers to apply as well as agencies who are considering creating this role and it may also be of interest to experienced panel members and agency decision makers.  For further information and to download a booking form, please click here

Date:  Monday 31 January 2022

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Facilitator:  Ravinder Kaur, Trainer/Consultant

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

Kinship care panels deal with making complex recommendations for children and their families. This online workshop will consider the task of being a minute taker within these meetings where crucial life-changing discussions take place.  It will consider the legal context, explore key information required for a good minute, discuss useful kinship research relevant to the role and share good practice with others in a safe setting.  For more information and to download an application form, please click here

Date:  Wednesday 1 September 2021

Time:  10.00am - 2.00pm

Online Platform:  MS Teams

Cost:  £85.00 + VAT

Facilitator:  Ravinder Kaur, Trainer/Consultant

The role of the minute taker in adoption and fostering panels is a crucial one.  Adoption and fostering panels are underpinned by specific legal and regulatory requirements.  Therefore, minute takers need to have a sufficient understanding of these requirements in order to produce a minute that is relevant, clear and appropriate.  For more information and to download an application form, please click here

Course dates                                                           Venue                                       Cost    

Module One:    11, 12 & 13 November 2019       Edinburgh (tbc)                        £2885 + VAT= £3462.00

Module Two:     20, 21 & 22 January 2020        

Module Three:   16, 17 & 18 March 2020                                 

This post qualifying course is aimed at social workers and managers in children and families’ teams, family placement teams as well as other specialist settings across the statutory, voluntary and independent sector. Applicants will require the support of their employer to attend as well as validate their work. It is imperative that sponsoring agencies ensure their nominated students have the motivation, capacity and commitment to complete the course.

The course is at MSc Level 11 and attracts an award of 60 credits (postgraduate certificate) which can be taken forward to further study. The course is validated by Strathclyde University.

The introductory session for students and their managers will be on the 21^st October 2019. The course requires attendance at three taught modules of three consecutive days per module between November 2019 and March 2020. Final assignments will be submitted in May 2020. Assessment will be on the basis of three written assignments as well as an assessed observation in the workplace. Comprehensive feedback is available to students. A student handbook will provide all the required information.

For more information please download the flyer here and click here for an application form.

Date:             Wednesday 6 November, 2019

Time:             10.00am – 4.30pm

Venue:           Jurys Inn, Glasgow

FEES

Member Rate:              □       £110.00 + VAT   (corporate members only)

Non-Member Rate:         □     £150.00 + VAT  (non corporate members and NHS health boards)

Individual Member Rate □       £90.00 + VAT

The work of the Stand Up For Siblings (SUFS) project has done a great dealt to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining relationships between brothers and sisters in the care system - but there are significant challenges for social workers when trying to assess the quality of those relationships, particularly in the context of making plans for permanent placement. Where a placement together cannot be achieved for siblings, social workers are tasked with trying to achieve the best permanent options for each child whilst trying to maintain a meaningful ongoing relationship for those children and their siblings. Courts and judges are urging social workers to be more creative about how they seek to preserve sibling bonds.

The seminar will give practitioners the opportunity to hear about updated practice guidance on working with siblings and on assessing their relationships and be introduced to some of the new tools to use in this work. Shelagh Beckett, author of CoramBAAF's newly published Good Practice Guide ‘Beyond Together or Apart’ will present her work alongside inputs from Dr Chris Jones from Strathclyde University, who has led the SUFS work, and Karen Morrison from the STAR project which provides an inspiring example of how relationships can be successfully maintained.

For more information and to download a booking form please click here

Date:            Thursday 3 October 2019

Time:             Registration: 9.30am

                     Conference: 10.00am – 4.30pm

Venue:           Apex Quay Hotel, Dundee

FEES

Member Rate:               □       £190.00 + VAT   (corporate members only)

Non-Member Rate:         □      £230.00 + VAT  (non corporate members and NHS health boards)

Individual Member Rate □       £170.00 + VAT

Mental health difficulties can affect children and adults from all walks of life – but looked after and adopted children are more likely to be affected, often due to their difficult early experiences. Health and social work professionals do a valuable yet challenging job of supporting these children, but the area of mental health can feel like a complex labyrinth. With demands on health and social care increasing, and a new emphasis being placed on the importance of children’s mental wellbeing, the conference will consider how health professionals and social workers can best assess, plan and deliver services that encourage and support good mental health.

Karen Aldred and Helen Rodwell, the two authors of the new CoramBAAF publication ‘Supporting the mental health needs of looked after and adopted children’, will present their work and lead discussion focussing on how practitioners can gather crucial information to help understand a child’s difficulties and plan how to meet their needs. Dr Helen Minnis, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Glasgow University, will speak about her extensive work with children who have experienced early adversity, and the way this learning can inform the way we work with children and their carers. Other contributors to be confirmed.

For more information and to download a booking form please click here 

Tuesday 17 September 2019

Park Inn by Radisson, 139-141 West George Street, Glasgow

The role of the minute taker in adoption and fostering panels is a crucial one.  Adoption and fostering panels are underpinned by specific legal and regulatory requirements.  Therefore, minute takers need to have a sufficient understanding of these requirements in order to produce a minute that is relevant, clear and appropriate.

This workshop is for administrative staff who take minutes for adoption and fostering panels.  To download a booking form please click here

Hearing the child in adoption and fostering

Date:               Friday 14 June, 2019

Venue:            Double Tree by Hilton, Dundee

The focus this year will be the child in the permanence process. We will discuss creating an environment where children feel able to speak out; where their views and needs are valued and how adults and systems can adapt to keep our focus firmly on the child’s perspective. Legal principle, research findings, medical knowledge and good practice insight will inform and support delegates in contributing to a process which is truly child centre.

Speakers will include:

The Rt Honourable Lord Carloway, Lord President of the Court of Session

Professor Judith Masson - World renowned academic will talk about her recent research study on outcomes for children from care proceedings.

Dr Katherine Edward, Chartered and Clinical Psychologist, KEE Consultancy - Child psychologist with many years’ experience working with children and appearing as a witness to assist courts in reaching child centred decisions

Thomas Carlton, Practice Support Manager, Independent Care Review Secretariat - A care experienced adult who will provide a unique perspective of his professional and personal observations.

Dr Christine Jones, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Work & Social Policy, University of Strathclyde - Her research has looked at barriers to permanence for disabled children. She will address the need to seek the views of disabled children and those with a communication impairment.

Irina Beaton, Senior Solicitor, Scottish Child Law Centre - Will speak about how the Centre provides legal advice and support to children who approach them for help.

John Hall, Solicitor, Hall Norrie Warden - Will give the perspective of the curator ad litem

Melissa Hunt, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, SCRA - Melissa will share methods adopted by SCRA to make sure the child’s voice is heard, particularly in Hearings.

The day will again be chaired by Lynda J Brabender QC, who specialises in family and child law and public law as it relates to children.

To download a booking form please click here

A workshop for new adoption and fostering panel members

Facilitator:     Ravinder Kaur         

Date:             Tuesday 18 June 2019

Venue:          Apex Haymarket Hotel, Edinburgh

Cost:             Member Rate £110.00 + VAT

The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 provides the overarching framework for adoption and fostering panels in Scotland. Panels make key recommendations which affect the lives of children, foster carers and adopters. Many of these recommendations have life-long consequences for those involved. It is therefore important that panel members have both an understanding of the role of panel as well having an opportunity to consider their contribution to this process. This workshop will reflect the updated Effective Adoption and Fostering Panels in Scotland good practice guide.

This workshop is aimed at new adoption and fostering panel members, panel advisers and it may also be of interest to new medical and legal advisers.  To download a booking form please click here

Facilitators:     Rhona Pollock & Helen Johnstone

Date:               Monday 25 March, 2019

Venue:             The Salutation Hotel, 34 South Street, Perth then

                         Perth Sheriff Court, Tay Street, Perth               

Registration:     09.00am

Start Time:         09.30 – 4.00pm - (refreshments & lunch will be provided)

This workshop is a FIRST. It will provide delegates with the opportunity to learn about being a witness and then actually putting that learning into practice on the day in Court. Delegates will spend the morning finding out about what is required of them as witnesses and studying a case scenario; lunch will be provided in the hotel and then delegates will walk 100yards to Perth Sheriff Court where a court room has been set aside for a mock proof to take place. Delegates will give evidence, being examined and cross examined by both Rhona and Helen. The “Court” will then make a decision based on the evidence heard.

This will be an informal, supportive and informative day giving workers the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for Court appearances. It will be suitable for anyone who is ever called as a witness and wants to make the Court experience as effective and painless as possible.”  For further information and a booking form please click here

This unique course is aimed at social workers and managers in children and families’ teams, family placement teams as well as other specialist settings across the statutory, voluntary and independent sector. Applicants will require the support of their employer to attend as well as validate their work. It is imperative that sponsoring agencies ensure their nominated students have the motivation, capacity and commitment to complete the course.

The course will be delivered alongside the validation process from Strathclyde University at MSc Level 11 and once validated will attract an award of 60 credits (postgraduate certificate) which can be taken forward to further study. Agencies will need to be confident that their nominated student can study at master’s level.

The introductory session for students and their managers will be on the 3^rd June 2019. The course requires attendance at three taught modules of three consecutive days per module between June 2019 and October 2019. Assessment will be based on assignments as well as a ‘training for trainers’ assessment. Comprehensive feedback is available to students. A student handbook will provide all the required information.

Course description

Module One:              The Kinship Care Context in Scotland

Module Two:              The Child in Kinship Care

Module Three:           Assessing and Supporting Kinship Carers

Course dates                                                               Venue              Cost    

Module One:             10,11 & 12 June 2019            Edinburgh       £2,745 + VAT  =     £3294.00

Module Two:             19, 20 & 21 August 2019                                                              

Module Three:          28, 29 & 30 October 2019                                                                      

 For further information, please download the flyer here    

For an application form, please download here