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 outc…

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 Al’s 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…

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 wi…

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…

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/r…

Frank Golding is an author, researcher, activist and historian. His childhood as a Ward of the State of Victoria in Australia in the ‘care’ 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-soci…

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 internat…

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 appr…

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, …

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, shar…

This pre-recorded video offers a taster of the benefits of joining our course ‘Making plans for staying in touch’. 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 com…

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. August…

James Bury, CoramBAAF’s Head of Policy, Research and Development, is joined by Anthony Lynch to tell us more about his research study “Complex Identities: An Intersectional Framework” which delves into the intricate nature of identity by examining how various social categories—such as race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, and sexual orientation…

Ann Horne, CoramBAAF’s Kinship Consultant, is joined by researcher and academic Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor. As part of this year’s Members’ Week celebrations, they will be talking about the theme of identity, with insights from Sariya’s research and her key findings from past and present projects. Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (PhD) is an Associ…

In this episode, we dive into the insights from our latest Good Practice Guide, Exploring and assessing motivations to adopt. Jo Francis, CoramBAAF’s 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…

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…

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…

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 i…

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 Develop…

Dr Dennis Golm is joined by author Stacey O'Sullivan, and CoramBAAF Kinship Consultant Ann Horne, to talk about this article from Volume 47, Issue 4 of the Adoption & Fostering journal. Stacey completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2022. Currently, she works full-time as a Clinical Psychologist in an Early Years (0-4 years) Child and Ado…

Special Edition: The digital turn in child and family social work: Challenges, opportunities and imagined futuresBiases, concerns and the erosion of rights: Addressing digital issues with adopted and fostered children in a policy vacuum Andy Phippen is a Professor of Online Harms at the Bournemouth University. Starting his career in an AI research …

Special Edition: The digital turn in child and family social work: Challenges, opportunities and imagined futures Dennis Golm is joined by two of the guest editor's for the introduction of the October special collection of the 'Adoption & Fostering journal, Volume 47 (Issue 3, October 2023). They discuss their editorial, The changing digital landsc…

In this episode of the podcast, Sarah Lloyd talks to Vicky and Dennis about the BUSS® model. Sarah Lloyd is a Consultant Occupational Therapist and Play Therapist and author of the BUSS® Model. Sarah worked in CAMHS for over 30 years before retiring in 2022 to head up the training and clinical teams within BUSS®. Sarah has published two books; Impr…

Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker introduce Volume 47 Issue 2 of our journal. They talk us through Dennis' editorial about the need for routine mental health support for care-experienced children and young people, along with the table of contents for the issue. Find out more at corambaaf.org.uk.CoramBAAF

Dr Karen Kenny joins Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm to discuss Karen's article in Issue 1 of Volume 47 in the Adoption & Fostering journal. It is widely acknowledged that looked after children have consistently lower educational achievements than those young people who are brought up by their birth families. Karen explains the key findings from he…

Dr Tam Cane is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sussex. Tam joins Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm to discuss Tam's article BRAC2eD model: An approach to de-bias decision-making in adoption assessments with prospective adopters from minoritised ethnic groups in Issue 1 of Volume 47 in the Adoption & F…

In the first episode of the Adoption & Fostering podcast, Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker introduce the Volume 47 Issue 1 of our journal. They talk us through Dennis' first editorial, along with the table of contents for the issue. Our Adoption & Fostering journal podcast is dedicated to sharing the research, findings and developments of academics …

Live from this year's Annual Health Conference, Michelle Bell interviewed our poster presenters about the work that they are currently undertaking in the health sector. These conversations include: A joint Doctor and Nurse model for initial health assessments for children in care - Dr Michelle Bond, Named Doctor for Children in Care for Brighton an…

Emma and Matt come together to explore Matt’s experiences as a gay man and a foster carer. Matt and his partner began their journey as foster carers in 2019 and had their first placement during lockdown. Matt is often faced with stigma and stereotypes, he works to challenge these stigmas and dismantle traditional gender roles whilst also providing …

We are excited to share the latest addition to our resources aimed at supporting practitioners to work with children and young people and their online life. Developed by Dr. Vicki Walker from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Jane Poore, our Adoption Consultant, these materials will be released over the next 12-18 months. Dive i…

Emma Fincham, CoramBAAF’s Fostering Consultant, is joined by Paul Calder and Eva Sprecher to talk about their new children’s book, Where did my dinosaur go?. This is a charming picture book about moving to live somewhere new, and learning to trust new people – ideal for children in foster care, kinship care, private fostering, and many other situat…

Where did my dinosaur go? is a charming children's book about two meerkats, Mia and Kit, who do not like their new home. They don’t like their new routine, their new bedroom, or new foods for dinner – and most of all, they definitely do not like their new carer, Becky the capybara. But when the meerkats (along with their very special cuddly dinosau…

Discover firsthand insights on adoption by foster carers in our exclusive podcast interviews featuring Isla, a foster carer turned adopter, and author Elaine Dibben. Joined by Jo Francis, CoramBAAF’s Publication Manager, they delve into both the personal and practical aspects of this journey. Elaine Dibben started her social work career in resident…

Discover firsthand insights on adoption by foster carers in our exclusive podcast interviews featuring Isla, a foster carer turned adopter, and author Elaine Dibben. Joined by Jo Francis, CoramBAAF’s Publication Manager, they delve into both the personal and practical aspects of this journey. Isla is a Foster Carer for a Local Authority with previo…

Listen to Joan Hunt and Helen Little talk about sibling assessment and the impact they have on children and their sibling relationships. They discuss how sibling assessments have been conducted in the past and the variables this generated. As well as covering, what sibling assessments have looked like since the introduction of CoramBAAF's Sibling A…

Post adoption depression: What is it? Who does it affect? What are we doing about it? These questions and more form part of Doctor Lynn Snow's Churchill Fellowship research. In this conversation, Jane Poore, Adoption Consultant, is joined by Doctor Lynn Snow to answer some of these questions. Doctor Lynn Snow is a community paediatrician working as…

In this episode, Helen Little is joined by Hetty (Hedwig) Verhagen. Hetty is a lecturer in Social Work at the University of Leads, whilst also being a therapeutic social worker, author and associate trainer. They talk about what therapeutic interventions mean, why there was a need to develop the course, and how social workers, foster carers, adopte…

Ellen Broomé welcomed Gillian Schofield and Mary Beek to talk about the new edition of their bestselling publications, The Secure Base Model and Promoting Attachment and Resilience. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website to find out more.CoramBAAF

Kinship Care Week (2 – 8 October 2023) is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the commitment of kinship carers and the role they play in the lives of children. Kinship care’s profile has increased considerably over the past year but more needs to be done. This year’s theme of #DoOneThing aims to continue to raise awareness and keep the spotli…

Listen to Augusta Itua, our legal consultant, in conversation with Dr Julia Feast OBE. They talk us through the current barriers and support available to care experienced people wanting to access their records. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website to find out more.…

Listen to our conversation with CoramVoice. Linda Briheim-Crookall shares research findings from the Bright Spots Programme, and considers how 16- and 17-year-olds feel they should be supported. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website to find out more.…

Listen to our health consultant, Ellie Johnson, in discussion with our head of policy, research and development, James Bury, explore what a health assessment is and how it can be used to better the lives of children and young people. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website to find out more.…

Listen to a discussion between our legal consultant, Alexandra Conroy- Harris, and our adoption consultant, Jane Poore, about how to use your legal department in social services. This episode is part of our Members' Week programme. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website to find out more.…

Alison Davies speaks about the importance of the linking role supervising social workers play between the fostering service and foster carers. Read the book - The role of the supervising social worker. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website to find out more.…

Author, Elaine Dibben talks Adoption Panels - how they operate and the importance of each panel member’s role and how they work together to ensure that each child is being placed with the right adoptive parents. Read the book - Effective adoption panels. Did you know podcasts count towards continuing your professional development? Visit our website…

CoramBAAF Publishing Manager, Jo Francis, engages in a thoughtful conversation with author Laura Williams to explore effective strategies for handling challenging situations and, notably, preventing their occurrence. Together, they delve into the comprehensive insights provided by our Good Practice Guide, highlighting its purpose in assisting pract…

In this interview, Olivia Clark shares with us how the endorsement of PACE and therapeutic parenting can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of children in care, and help to strengthen the bond between a carer and the child they care for. Olivia has been a qualified social worker for thirteen years, with ten years of experience in the fostering…

In this conversation about mental health, Hetty Verhagen (therapeutic social worker and university lecturer), Emma Fincham (fostering consultant) and Ellyse Partington (Digital Marketing and Engagement Officer), consider what mental health means to them. They explore Emma's role as a mental health first aider, along with Hetty's direct work with so…

Jo Francis talks to author Hetty Verhagen about her Parenting Matters book, Parenting a child affected by child to parent violence and aggression. Child to parent violence is a distressing phenomenon for any family, but it may be more common in children who have been separated from their birth family and who experienced abuse, neglect or other trau…

Emma Fincham met with Charmaine Orchard, chair of CoramBAAF's Fostering Advisory Committee, to talk about her new role. They talk about Charmaine's work, Foster Care Fortnight™ and this year's theme #fosteringcommunities. It is also an insightful conversation about current fostering policy and practice, as well as exploring their ambitions for the …