Adoption East Midlands Newsletter April 2023

Prospective and current adopters alike can benefit from a comprehensive range of courses and workshops to help prepare for the highs and challenges of adoption. From the early stages of considering adoption, to assessment, matching, and family life, there is plenty on offer to help adopters understand and prepare for their children’s needs.

Starting in spring 2023 we’re re-launching our face-to-face pre-approval learning and development offer, with new elements and a greater focus on areas such as therapeutic parenting, identity, and keeping-in-touch.

Our online ‘Welcome to Adoption Support’ seminar helps to make the transition from pre- to post-adoption order support as seamless as possible. Follow the link below to find out more about when the next informative 2-hour online sessions are coming up.

We look forward to being part of your ongoing journey!

On Tuesday 25 April we have a workshop on incorporating Theraplay techniques at home with your child. Theraplay uses a wide range of simple activities that create in the moment connections between parent and child. This practical intervention session will enable you to build a toolkit for you to help you build this connection at home with your child.

The activities are adult led, suitable for a wide range of ages, and provide opportunity for play, nurture and generally having great fun together.

The session will help you to learn how Theraplay can benefit children who have experienced trauma and playful and practical ways to bring emotional connection and joy into your relationships at home.

The foundations of many therapeutic frameworks and interventions are built on a 'bottom up' approach. Kim Golding’s Therapeutic Needs Hierarchy recognises that the ability to engage in therapy and process trauma can only happen when a child feels physical and emotional safety.

Preparation for therapy begins at home. Our Universal Support Offer can support families with early interventions to strengthen relationships, build attachments and promote feelings of safety for your child, to help them to utilise therapy more successfully.

Adoption Support Team Manager, Vicky Pike, is excited to introduce the development of AEM into a Centre of Excellence, through a virtual multi-disciplinary team drawing on support from health, education, and the youth service, starting in April 2023. With help from a wider range of professionals, we will be able to offer more targeted assessments and support services for adopted families in need of early intervention or more complex support in addition to the services AEM already provide.

We’ll be seeking the voices and lived experiences of our adopters, adopted children and young people to inform and shape this project. You can share your experiences and specialist knowledge with us through our Peer Mentoring Network.

The national team launched the Early Permanence Standards in February, with another launch event planned for June.

This has coincided with the Midlands Together Collaboration (MTC) holding two well-attended events to discuss early permanence, some of the barriers, and what works well. This will be followed by more detailed guidance from the MTC project, to increase the opportunity for children to have 'first placement last placement' whenever possible.