The Adoption and Fostering Podcast

Conversations - Helio, Adult International Adoptee

Hello and welcome to conversations from the AandF podcast. 

In this episode I speak with Helio an adult adoptee, he shares his experience of being adopted from Brazil to an Italian family. There’s so much more to his story and as an adult he went onto what was a complex journey to reconnect with his biological mother. His resilience and the murky circumstances of his adoption are remarkable and it’s well worth a listen. 

You can follow Helio on instagram here. 

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Better Me Better Us Ep 31 - Back to basics

In this episode, we explore the importance of stripping everything back to the basics and showing up on a truly human level. It’s these foundations, warmth, consistency, repair and presence, that create safety and stability for our most traumatised children. We also reflect on how powerful our modelling is: what we, as professionals, model to parents and carers, and what they in turn model to the children in their care. When we get the basics right, everything else becomes possible.

 

As always you can connect with us through the following -

Instagram- BMBUltd

Facebook – Better Me Better Us

Email – info@bettermebetterus.co.uk

Episode 221 - Adoption Crisis and More

Hello and welcome to this episode of the adoption and fostering podcast. With the wide ranging coverage in the news of the UK's adoption crisis we focus in on that in this episode as well as the response from adoption agencies and the children's minister. 

There's a lot to unpack but we give it a go and then have a little chat about the drop in foster carers in the UK and the review announced in to mental health and neurodiversity diagnosis announced. 

BBC Adoption Crisis here

Debate in Parliament transcript here

Walking with Families Peer support here

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Conference Report - The Adoption Forum

On the 19th November Al was invited to attend a conference in London organised by The Adoption Forum and this is his on the hoof podcast. Their goal is to bridge law, policy, and lived experience and to turn research and policy into practical, down to earth strategies that support children, families, and the professionals who work with them. 

You can follow them on Linkedin here

Al was able to speak to attendees and contributors, Anthea Benjamin, Mike Hancock from PAC UK , Sarah Beskine, Sophie Hill and Azariah Hope.

 

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

 

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

 

Conversations - Foster Carer Amelie

Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast. 

In this episode I speak to former foster carer and author Amelie. She shares her family story of a serious allegation made against them that led to her own children being removed from her care. It’s a stark account  and Amelie’s book, Broken, recounts that experience. Amelie is passionate to see change and help build a system that manages allegations better.  

You can read Amelie's book here and follow her on instagram here. 

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

 

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Episode 220 - Dads' Mental Health - Movember

Hello and welcome to the AandF podcast. 

*Warning!*

We will be leaning into gender stereotypes.

So, it's been a while since we had a proper natter so we catch up then dive into the tricky issue of mens'/dads' mental health and the specific challenges that adoption may bring. We think about blocked care and post adoption depression as well as consider how we access support and if we even want it?

Here's a link to the research we reference around adoptive dads and if you're interested in joining Al's online peer support for adoptive parent caring for children with challenging behaviour follow this link and we'll share the details of the open groups and the dads' groups with you. There's also a FB group you can join here. 

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

Better Me Better Us Ep 30 - Professional Relationships

Podcast 30 - Professional Relationships

 

In this episode, we explore the power and complexity of professional relationships - how they shape our ability to ask for help, to trust, and to be trusted. We look at the systems we work within, and how they can both nurture and hinder the relationships we need to do our best work. 

 

As always you can connect with us through the following -

Instagram- BMBUltd

Facebook – Better Me Better Us

Email – info@bettermebetterus.co.uk

Conversations - How to start a Foster Care Agency with Dan Boxall-Simpson

Hello and welcome to conversations from the AandF podcast. 

In this episode I speak to Dan Boxall-Simpson, he’s returned to the podcast to update us on the progress of EPIC Fostering the independent foster care agency he is in the process of setting up. He shares some of the challenges of navigating the process, Ofsted applications and more. It’s interesting to find out why now is a good time to do this and chat about their ethos and vision as a not for profit agency. 

You can find out more about EPIC and EPIC family CIC here. 

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

 

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Adoption Disruption - Vicki McKeown, social worker, counsellor and panel member

Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast. 

In this  episode we’re focusing our gaze on the issue of adoption disruption. It’s a hugely sensitive subject matter with the impact on children, adults and professionals often being catastrophic. 

Here I speak to Vicki McKeown psychotherapeutic Counsellor at VLM Therapy Ltd & Director at Better Me Better Us Ltd, social worker and panel member. She has broad experience of working with adopted children and their parents and shares insight to the causes and impacts across the system.

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Converations. Andy Wallis adult adoptee.

Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast. 

In this episode I speak to adoptee Andy Wallis. We talk about his experience of being an adoptee and the impact on his mental health in adulthood. This is a thought provoking conversation and Andy is honest about the the complexity of being an adoptee. Andy blogs on the subject as well as having told parts of his story in his book  Who's Wally? Adoption, Brian, and Me. 

Website: www.whoswally.co.uk

📸 Instagram and TikTok: @whoswally73

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.wallis.3572

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-wallis-865ab6195/

As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or special guardianship from any perspective personal or professional and would like share that on the podcast please get in touch through the Facebook page, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com

 

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here