CoramBAAF Conversations

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 & Fostering journal. In this episode of the pod...

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 that focus on adoption, fostering, kin...

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 and Hove, and  Sue Donald,  Specialist Nurse for Ch...

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 a supportive and loving care for his young people...

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 into the latest podcast episode, where they explore...

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 situations. Paul Calder has been a foster carer for 11 y...

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 dinosaur toys) stay with Becky, they discover that a new...

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 residential social work and qualified in 1988. She has ove...

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 previous professional experiences in education and safeg...

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 Assessment Report (SAR) and how it promotes consist...

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 Designated Doctor for looked after children for L...

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, adopters and others can benefit from signing up for the...

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.

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 spotlight on kinship care. To end  #KinshipCareWeek ,...

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 to find out more.

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 practitioners and managers in skillfully maneuvering...

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 sector through local authority and independent pr...

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 social work practitioners. Did you know podcasts cou...

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 trauma in their early years. Aggression can become...

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 committee going forward. To find out more about Co...