Conversation & discussion on contemporary Adoption & Fostering
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Hi Everyone, we are Vicki and Haley from Better Me Better Us.
In this first episode we introduce ourselves and what we do.
We have over 45 years shared experience working with children, young people, young adults and their families, from a range of roles including statutory safeguarding, family intervention, therapy, consultancy and training.
We are passionate about humans, relationships and bringing the literature and theories to life (and we love to talk).
We cannot wait to connect with you once a month and expand the conversation.
Connect with us -
Instagram- @BMBUltd
Facebook – Better Me Better Us
Twitter – @BMBUltd
Email – info@bettermebetterus.co.uk
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Saturday Jul 08, 2023
Saturday Jul 08, 2023
In this episode we share some news of a new podcast coming out this week, the BASW #CPV #CCVAB Practice guide (here) and their draft statement on 'forced adoption', the Ellie Simmonds programme and Scott's Covid!
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
In this midweek conversation we speak to Prof Helen Minnis and Fiona Lettice from the University Of Glasgow. They are undertaking a trial (The Relationships in Good Hands (RIGHT)Trial) looking at Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) therapy.
We chat about the DDP generally and then consider the specific questions that the study is looking at
Can DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) improve the mental health of 5–12-year-old fostered or adopted children and is DDP worth the commitment families need to give to it - and the extra cost to the services that deliver it?
Notes from Helen and Fiona:
"Are you interested in taking part in the RIGHT research trial and contributing to improving care pathways for adopted and fostered children? The Right trial is looking to determine the effectiveness of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy versus other appropriate treatment, offered to children experiencing difficulties related to early years trauma. We are also looking to identify how care pathways can be improved to ensure our vulnerable children are easily able to access the right treatment at the right time.
RIGHT is currently recruiting for adoptive families in the following areas: Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Oxfordshire, Lanarkshire, Doncaster, East Midlands – Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, West Midlands – Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, and Walsall
And for children in a long-term foster placement in:
Lanarkshire, Nottingham City, Bradford, Norfolk, Oxfordshire
Please get in touch with us at right-trial@glasgow.ac.uk
or find out more at www.gla.ac.uk/right"
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jul 01, 2023
Saturday Jul 01, 2023
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast.
In this episode we speak to Gaynor an adult adoptee. Gaynor has recently wrote her story in a book as a form of letters that reflects her experience and the complexity and challenge of adoption across her family. She shares some of that in the podcast and you can of course find out more if you seek out her book. Available 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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
In this episode Al speaks to Sarah Brown, solicitor at Ridley and Hall. Scott wasn't able to make it so social worker, adoptee and adopter Fiona Wells stepped in to help.
We asked her on to discuss the work that she does supporting adoptive families in some of the most challenging moments. It's a difficult conversation so be careful as amongst some a range of issues such as contact orders, seeking support, passports and foster carers adopting we also discuss children having to return to care.
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jun 24, 2023
Saturday Jun 24, 2023
Hello and welcome to the A&F Podcast.
Before we even start we trial an introduction that artificial intelligence wrote for us, not sure it's quite there yet!
This week we speak to Rachael Stemp and Marie Crook about the new model of support and development (The Reflective Fostering Programme)that has been trialled to over 400 foster carers and is part of a research project to consider how effective the new approach is. We also chat about the work that the study is doing in relation to inclusion in the support and study part of a project called INclude.
You can get more details here and if you want to sign up you can do this via this form.
This is a NIHR funded study.
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jun 17, 2023
Saturday Jun 17, 2023
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast.
In this episode we speak to Peter a solo adoptive parent, he shares his experience as a foster care that ultimately led to him adopting a child he knew through his role as a scout leader and teacher. It’s an unusual path to adoption and Peter shares some of the challenges along the way.
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Saturday Jun 10, 2023
Saturday Jun 10, 2023
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast.
We start discussing Scott's moonlighting on the Good Tech Podcast and consider the role of Artificial Intelligence in social work assessments and matching, there's a bit of banter and we also unpick Al's reflections on being 'social worked'.
Then we go right into our own experiences of living in a home where there's complex and challenging behaviour. We draw on a few sources, direct messages to us and reflections on conversations with other men. It parallels women's experiences in some ways but we consider if it's different and how we respond and if we're able to access support and if so what do we want.
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Thursday Jun 08, 2023
Thursday Jun 08, 2023
Hello and welcome to this podcast special, Scott attended the launch of Adoption UK’s Annual Barometer report in Westminster this week and in this episode he talks us through the day and his reflections on it.
Speakers included Emily Frith, CEO of Adoption UK, Ed Timpson MP, Claire Coutinho MP and Childrens Minister, Helen Hayes MP and Shadow Childrens Minister as well as Sally Donovan and the adopted adults panel.
The Barometer report is available here and is available as the full report or in an Executive Summary.
Scott doesn’t cover the report findings in any great detail – you can find that above, however, he does pick out some of his reflections from the Speakers.
Safe to say that the adopted adults panel discussions were honest, open and raw given their experiences of supports as they transitioned through teenage year and into adulthood.
We will be welcoming Becky Brookes (friend of the show) soon to discuss the content of the Barometer report very soon.
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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
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Saturday Jun 03, 2023
Saturday Jun 03, 2023
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast.
In this episode we speak to adoptive parent and author Sarah McGeough, She shares her experiences as an adoptive parent and is open and honest in relation to her challenges in relation to getting through the process to having her child move in. Sarah also shares how and why she decided to write two books (Eddy finds a Family and Eddy feels at Home) and you can see them 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 or twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
Listen/subscribe on iTunes here
Spotify here
Google here