Training

We offer a comprehensive training programme from pre-approval courses to sessions on parenting strategies, as well as training for friends and family of adopters. These courses are delivered through a mixture of face to face sessions, virtual online sessions and via our e-learning platforms.

There are mandatory sessions that applicants must complete prior to either the Adoption Panel for their approval or Matching Panel, these are:

Preparing to adopt

The preparation course is offered as part of the assessment process and needs to be undertaken in stage one. The course will help prospective adopters to:

• Understand issues of trauma and abuse and the effect on a child’s development and capacity to form secure attachments.
• Consider key parenting skills and strategies for parenting children that have experienced neglect and abuse.
• Understand identity issues for children and the role of contact, including online contact concerns.  Course leaders will provide a brief written report on each participant

Life Story Work

The overall goal of Life Story Work is to help children to piece together a complete narrative of their lives. This includes their life history and information about relatives, friends, carers, places lived and key life events, as well as personal achievements. Life Story Work may also help children to plan for their future as a result of understanding their past and the effect that it has had on them.

The effects of domestic violence on children

Children and young people are traumatised by living with domestic abuse. This course enables learners to understand the key issues facing these children, and how to help them to develop resilience and become more able to grow towards healthy and positive adult life.

Attachment and Trauma

Children who are adopted have often during their early life experiences been subject to neglect and abuse.  Because of this adopted children have more emotional and mental health needs, as well as more behavioural difficulties than most children. Their difficulties start before they are adopted and are routed within relationships with adults.  Adoption offers stability, security and a good relationship and can help children and young people to develop and mature emotionally. It can repair some of the damage that has been done and be an integral part of the healing process. Understanding how we are built, what happens to us through childhood trauma and how we can recover, offers us a comprehensive understanding of how we can create change for our children.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are a set of entirely preventable mental and physical birth defects caused by maternal alcohol consumption. The damage is manifested in physiological, learning and behavioural disabilities in the individual. This course enables learners to understand what FASD is, the physical and cognitive features of the disorder and the impact that it can have on children and their families.