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Viability Assessments in Wales: Legal and Practical Considerations

This training course provides social workers and professionals in Wales with a comprehensive understanding of viability assessments in the context of child protection and care proceedings.

The session explores the legal framework underpinning viability assessments, offering clarity on statutory requirements and case law. It also examines practical approaches to assessing potential carers enabling participants to gain the skills and knowledge needed to balance safeguarding principles with a strengths-based approach, ensuring thorough and fair evaluations that prioritise the welfare of the child.

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Assessing Risk & Providing Support to Families Caring for Children who Self-Harm

This workshop focuses on addressing the complexities of ensuring the safety of care-experienced children who self-harm whilst ensuring care givers are supported to care for them. Professionals will discuss best practice frameworks for reducing risk and share ideas on how to effectively support families caring for children who self-harm.

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Life Journey Work for Children Looked After

This course is designed to give an understanding of the ‘life-journey’ process and purpose, extending throughout the child’s life. An understanding of the different themes that make up life journey work: the impact of trauma, ACE’s, loss and grief, exploration of life history, family history and identity and explore best practice in the facilitation of ongoing life story work which will enable children’s and young people’s understanding of their past, acceptance of their present and hopefulness about the future.

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PACE (in the context of a wider therapeutic parenting/care approach)

This workshop is developed to embed the theory of PACE in the therapeutic principle of ‘Connection before Correction’. Learning will support participants to understand the need for ‘PACE-ful’ care and make it easier to adopt it.

Before the principles of PACE are introduced, we will spend some time reflecting on the specific situation of children and young people in care, as well as on the effects of their early trauma on their identity and their relationships with peers and adults. We will look at the reasons why these young people need adults who are actively and consistently offering an emotional connection. We will then look at how PACE can provide this connection and help the young people develop trust.

We will look at the different parts of PACE and spend some time practising those. This will be done by using case examples.

We will spend time on the ‘correction’ of the behaviour and the nature of potential consequences, which are both closely connected to learning the principles of PACE.

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Outcome Based Care Planning for Children Looked After – FULLY BOOKED

This training explores best practice in relation to writing and reviewing care and support plans. It focuses on how to keep the child at the centre of the care planning process and the valuable input of every member of the team around the child.

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Supervising Social Worker – Annual Reviews

This workshop has been developed to support the knowledge and skills required by the Supervising Social Worker. It provides a comprehensive overview that can equip social workers with the techniques needed to undertake Annual Reviews.

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The Impact of Shame on Children

In this training we will explore what ‘shame’ is and how it develops, in particular the toxic stress experienced by children with a background of abuse and/or neglect. As well as exploring the causes we will identify the signs and the connection of shame to trauma. We will learn to identify ‘typical’ shame responses, we will think about how parents and carers can help children regulate this big emotion and also how they can help to minimise shame-based behaviour.

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3rd November 2026 9:30am-3:30pm Online Workshop
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Mastering Critical Thinking and Analysis in Fostering Assessments

In this course you will explore how to apply critical thinking to fostering assessments enabling you to achieve or enhance your work in writing or reviewing fostering assessments to ensure they are evidence informed and robustly analytical.

The course will enable you to apply practice models including Secure Base, alongside practice guidance, including competencies, to inspire confidence in making sound recommendations about capacity and suitability.

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Panel Chair/Vice Chair; Advisors and ADM/DM (Fostering and Adoption)

A workshop for experienced or new Adoption & Fostering Panel Chair/Vice Chairs, Panel Advisors and ADM/DMs. An opportunity to consider the regulations, guidance and these specific roles and how it connects with the agency. Throughout the day there will be times to share and hear good practice from other practitioners/agencies. On this course we will explore your role within panel and what panel’s role is in relation to assessments, how panels work as a team to make robust, child centred decisions. The need for panels to ensure diversity representation and thought. This course will also take into consideration learning from the most recent child practice and serious case reviews.

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Assessing Adult Relationships

This course aims to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of best practices in the assessment of adult relationships. Participants will engage in an exploration of their own values and assumptions regarding relationships, encouraging self-reflection and awareness. This workshop will delve into the critical importance of various factors that influence adult relationships, including attachment styles and their impact on emotional connections. We will examine the role of motivation in relationship dynamics, as well as discussions surrounding sex and sexuality, recognising the complexities and diverse experiences that shape these aspects of relationships. The course will address challenging topics such as loss and infertility, emphasising the emotional and psychological impacts they can have on individuals and couples. By the end of the course, participants will have a richer understanding of the multifaceted nature of adult relationships and the skills necessary to assess and support them effectively.

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Staying Connected Through Trauma: Nervous System Regulation

This workshop will look at the function of the nervous system and focus on the impact of trauma on nervous system function. Attendees will delve into an exploration of polyvagal theory which explores how the state of our nervous system determines how safe and connected we feel in day-to-day life. Some states lead to disconnection, withdrawal and self protection, while others promote social engagement, exploration, and curiosity. Trainers will discuss strategies to befriend and tend to the nervous system for better outcomes.

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Making Good Assessments – Kinship / Connected Persons

This 12-hour workshop split over 3 short days will cover all aspects relating to the assessment of Connected Persons to provide care and permanency for children looked after. The training will cover understanding the legislative framework, guidance around specific case law and implications for practice/recommendations; requirements in terms of the assessment process; assessment tools and techniques; guidance in writing/timescales; analysis within the assessment; contact and support plans. This will be an opportunity to reflect on your practice, consider the complexities of the breadth of tasks involved in every assessment and a space to explore ideas.

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Preparation Training for Parent and Child Foster Carers

Fostering Services are under increasing pressure to provide parent and child fostering placements in order to provide the best possible chance to keep families together and avoid children, particularly babies from coming into care. They occur where parents have additional support needs that cannot be met in the community and where there may be significant concern about a parents ability to safely care for their child. Parent and Child placements can be hugely rewarding for foster carers particularly where carers support families to remain together in the community. However these arrangements can be complex and challenging and foster carers require additional training over and above that provided to mainstream foster cares to meet the specific demands of these placements. This 2-day training course will provide foster carers and fostering service professionals with a comprehensive introduction to the role of the parent and child foster carer, the tasks involved, and the skills and knowledge required to support this role.

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Understanding Special Guardianship Orders

This workshop will explore special guardianship assessment and the application of critical analysis to this work; relevant case law and learning from serious case reviews, the ‘Offer’ of Special Guardianship support and developing support and contact plans within an outcomes focused framework. This work will be rooted in an understanding of the history, context and use of Special Guardianships Orders, including application of The Special Guardianship (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018, with its accompanying Code of Practice and The PLWG’s publication ‘Recommendations to achieve best practice … Special Guardianship Orders’ 2020.

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Fostering and Adoption Panels (Wales) – An introduction to their functions and responsibilities

This course aims to give aspiring, new and recently appointed fostering and adoption panel members and opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the tasks, roles and responsibilities involved and as a result develop confidence in their role as an effective panel member.

Fostering and Adoption panel work is challenging to all concerned in the process and this course is intended to share experiences, dilemmas and best practice. Learning will be set within the context of the current legislative framework, best practice guidance and emerging research.

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Exploring bias, discrimination and becoming a culturally competent practitioner – FULLY BOOKED

Cultural competence involves acknowledging and respecting cultural differences in our attitudes, communication, and behaviours. As childcare professionals, regardless of our specific roles, we must continually strive to enhance our cultural competence in practice. To do this effectively, we need to examine our personal biases and understand the impact that discrimination can have on the children and communities we support. In this open course, you will have the opportunity to explore key concepts related to cultural competence and anti-oppressive practice, and then apply this knowledge to your work. The course will also include a discussion on how both personal and professional identities can influence the decisions we make in our roles.

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todays knowledge supporting tomorrows families