Early Permanence placements include both Fostering for Adoption and Concurrent Planning placements. All these placements are designed to ensure a focus on meeting the needs of vulnerable babies for legally secure permanent placements whether via adoption or return to members of the birth family. This requires a systemic approach involving LA social workers and legal teams where adoption is the likely plan for a child. In addition, Regional Agency Adoption have the responsibility of recruiting and preparing prospective adopters to understand and assume the responsibility of fostering the child during court proceedings acknowledging that the decision of the Court cannot be pre-empted. The best interest of the child may be a return to the care of birth parent/s or extended family members. CAFCASS and IROs also play a vital role in securing the best outcomes for children.
HHJ Lynn Roberts (Chair of the Conference) is a Senior Circuit Judge and the Designated Family Judge for the Central Family Court.
Speakers include
- Alexandra Conroy-Harris (Legal Consultant at CoramBAAF)
- Hannah Moss (Coram Lead on Early Permanence) in conversation with an Early Permanence carer
- Jenny Kenrick (Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Visiting Lecturer , Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust)
- Jeanne Kaniuk (Adoption Consultant)
Professionals who will benefit from attending include:
- members of the judiciary who deal with care proceedings and adoption applications
- local authority solicitors
- managers and social workers in Children’s Services Teams
- managers and social workers in RAAs and VAAs
- IROs
- members of CAFCASS
This conference will provide:
• an overview of the legal framework for Early Permanence, including recent case law and managing placements during a time of social distancing
• the opportunity to hear the testimony of an experienced adopter who accepted an Early Permanence placement, including living with the uncertainty during Court proceedings and managing contact with the child’s birth mother
• consideration of the importance of how contact with the child’s birth family is managed during proceedings
• a brief summary of the findings of an Outcome Study which has followed up a cohort of babies placed as infants up till their adolescence
There will be an opportunity for Q and A at the end of the programme.
Book your tickets here https://buytickets.at/coram/584084