Claim OwnershipThe Adoption and Fostering Podcast
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Conversation & discussion on contemporary Adoption & Fostering
558 Episodes
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This month we’re exploring how our different lenses - our lived experiences, values, and professional knowledge, shape the way we see and interpret behaviour. They influence how we respond, the language we use, and even whether we view something as needing a safeguarding referral or as an opportunity for support and connection.
By becoming aware of our own lenses and being open to those of others, we can create a shared understanding that keeps curiosity, empathy, and the child at the centre of our practice.
As always you can connect with us through the following -
Instagram- BMBUltd
Facebook – Better Me Better Us
Email – info@bettermebetterus.co.uk
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast.
In this episode I speak to adoptive parent Cath who is parenting from a distance, a position that many adoptive families find themselves in. Often parents struggled to meet the complex and high needs of children with the challenges of ensuring children remain safe also added into the mix. When this happens it can characterised as a breakdown or an adoption disruption, however as Cath’s story indicates the separation is often necessary to ensure any chance of an ongoing relationship between children and parents. However, getting service to acknowledge and see the needs of children and parents can be challenging to say the least.
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
Hello and welcome to our Kinship week live with Dr Paul Shuttleworth. We chat about the voices of children and Dr Paul's new book, Listening to Children about Kinship care, child welfare and permanence.
You can download the book for free here and please do as Dr Paul worked hard to ensure it was available at no cost and we want to support the excellent work he's doing.
We do chat more broadly about Kinship and the state of the broader context.
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
Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast.
Over the next episodes 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 Fiona Wells, Adult adoptee, adoptive parent, social worker and director of PATCH She has direct experience of the challenges that families can face as well as bringing together many families looking to improve the adoption and care system having experienced difficult interactions with it.
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
Hello and welcome to this episode of the A&F podcast, we're on the cusp of Kinship week so we look a the report published this week "Handle With Care: Annual survey of kinship carers 2025" view here. Parts of it dovetail with the DfE's Family Routes: Children who return to care research which we discuss and you can view here.
Of course we banter around the issues and unpack our takes, or attempts at takes, on the reports.
If you're an adoptive parent and struggling with challenging behaviour you can join the Walking with Families FB group here.
FASD Ireland's research can be viewed 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
Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast.
Over the coming episodes we’re focusing our gaze on the issue of adoption disruption. It’s a hugely sensitive subject matter and we’ve talked to a range of people and professionals impacted by it, we haven’t spoken to children or adult adoptees. That’s more a reflection on our network not a policy decision.
Here I speak to solicitor Nigel Priestley from Ridley and Hall, he is an adoptive parent and has focused his work on supporting adoptive parents navigate what can be a very challenging process when children can no longer live at home.
It is to hard listen to the challenges families face and Nigel offers insight as to the impact on them and the difficulties that they face.
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
Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast.
Over the next episodes 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. We’ve talked to social workers, adoptive parents, adult adoptees, solicitors and adoptive parents but not children.
Here I speak to Ruth and she shares her experience of disruption pre adoption order. It is a hard listen but I’m sure you agree it highlights some of the systemic challenges families face as well as the lifelong impact on everyone in the home.
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
Hello and welcome to this, what feels like a marker in the year, episode looking at the 2025 Adoption Barometer (click here). We get AUK’s Becky Brooks on to run us through what we know and new stuff.
We unpack some of the news before we get to that, ie a new children’s minister, FASD Ireland’s very exciting new report (click here) and Al’s peer support community, Walking with Families, (click here).
Becky brings real insight personally and professionally and she opens up the data as well as analysis some of the bigger issues that come up in the conversation. It’s a great chat that get’s into some interesting areas.
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
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F Network.
In this episode I speak to Caitlyn Newblé the CEO and founder of All in the therapy of music. She shares her experience of the transformational influence music brought to her. Her vision is to make music accessible and affordable by bringing experienced and advanced musicians into schools.
You can visit her website 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, the app formerly known as Twitter or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
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Spotify here
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Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F Network.
This month’s podcast is all about Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
It’s a tough but really important conversation. We chat about how this issue shows up in the lives of children and young people, especially in schools and online, and why it matters so much for those of us working with or parenting children and young people.
It’s not about policy or box-ticking, it’s about the real impact, the human side, and what we can do to make sure kids feel safe, supported and believed.
As always you can connect with us through the following -
Instagram- BMBUltd
Facebook – Better Me Better Us
Email – info@bettermebetterus.co.uk
Hello and welcome to this episode, a conversation with Bryan Post.
We were delighted to get the opportunity to speak to him at the end of August. He was a generous guest and shares some of his personal experience and his professional expertise. Bryan has authored many books, trained professionals and has inspired many adoptive parents as he shares from his life, practice and extensive knowledge. We also chatted about his latest ai project and you can catch up with all he does here.
Between recording and now an awful lot has happened for the boys. You can find out more about Al's funded peer support project here and as soon as FASD Ire release their report we'll share the details. We tried to keep our intro short but there was a lot to unpack!
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
Hello and welcome to this follow on episode of my Churchill Fellowship.
In this episode I speak to Tracy Moisan from Canada who is the national director of the National Consortium on Aggression Towards Family / Caregivers in Childhood & Adolescence (AFCCA). The Consortium exists to increase awareness of AFCCA across Canada, to amplify the voices of youth and their families, and to mobilize knowledge in ways that affects policy, systems, services, research, and professional practice to improve the lives of youth experiencing AFCCA and their families. Tracy has a wealth of experience and absolute insight the challenges families face and this is a fascinating discussion.
The Consortium's website is here www.afcca-apfea.ca
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast.
A few months ago I was contacted by Karine Tremblay an adoptive parent, social worker and researcher in relation to her work on the impact of living with children with challenging and aggressive behaviour. So, we arranged to speak, it’s a conversation and topic that sits really comfortably within the remit of my Churchill Fellowship and Karine’s description of ‘filial trauma’ will be recognised by parents, carers and professionals.
Karine is French Canadian but her work is transferable to all who live or work in this field regardless of geography.
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
In this episode we speak to Dee Mills, she's an adoptive parent and had written a book 'Your Adopted Child at School: Making The Right Choices & Getting The Education They Need' drawing on her extensive challenges as an adoptive parent with the school system. Dee is certainly not anti school but full of useful tips and advice born from lots of interaction with teachers and schools. We had a cracking chat and it raised lots of issues and memories for us as well.
Dee's book can be found here. https://amzn.to/40riO06
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
In this episode, we’re talking all things school holidays and how to support children through long stretches of unstructured time while gently stretching their independence.
We explore why holidays can feel overwhelming for some children (especially those with trauma histories or neurodivergence, how to build skills and resilience without pushing too far, the importance of strong, safe relationships—so if things go wrong, you can talk it through and why your support network matters just as much as the routine.
As always you can connect with us through the following -
Instagram- BMBUltd
Facebook – Better Me Better Us
Email – info@bettermebetterus.co.uk
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F Network.
In this episode I speak Dr Maude Champagne from Interwovern connections based in Ontario Canada. Following on from her PHD Maude in collaboration with other professionals she has written what is, in my opinion, an excellent book. It’s called DECODING AGGRESSION, COMPLEX BEHAVIOURS AND BRAIN-BASED DISABILITIES and the link is in the show notes. It’s a practical book looking a supporting families and it’s strength is it comes from a range of perspectives to do that.
Maude is an author who has also lived experience and brings that to bare in her work.
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, Instagram, Bluesky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com
In this episode we speak to Euan Preston and Gillian Elam from the Potato Group. They recently published their report 'Far, Far Beyond the Adoption Order: Lessons From Lives Impacted by Trauma' drawing on the experiences of 400+ adoptive families. The report highlight some of the complexities and challenges faced by children and parents accessing appropriate support and how services struggle to manage crisis and when adoptive children can no longer live at home.
You can visit Potato's website here and download the reports 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
In this episode we chat to Vicki McKeown & Lisa Etherson about the tricky subject of Shame. Drawing on their professional experiences and practice as well as Lisa's Phd they have co authored the children's book "Jake and his Shame Armour. We discuss aspects of shame and how it is linked to attachment and can influence behaviour. As always there's a bit of frivolity and chaos as we try to get the live machine to work.
You can buy the book 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
Hello and welcome to what is a follow up to the conversation I had with Lee Tempest in the summer of 2024. I spoke to her then in relation to the understanding and support being offered to families living with children with challenging and violent behaviour in New Zealand. Lee works for VisAble a national charity and has authored the first survey across New Zealand looking at families experiences of child to parent violence and abuse and in this interview she shares the findings and the work that there is to do.
You can listen to her first interview here and visit VisAble’s website here and read the report
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
Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast.
In this episode Scott and Al speak to Sarah and Helen from the Belay Foundation. They help families access disability benefits as well as in home support.
Here's a their info
The Belay Foundation
In case you are inspired to find out more ...
website https://thebelayfoundation.org.uk/
- To help them in the future the survey they've launched to get input on our future services is here:
https://forms.office.com/e/EDfKWKgntV (and the intro video is here: https://vimeo.com/1094294617)
They are a charity so if you have any pennies to donate then justgiving.com/charity/thebelayfoundation
(OR you can donate to Helen's year-long #Belay2025in2025 fundraising challenge here: justgiving.com/page/belay2025in2025)
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This sounds like fantastic work but it's a real shame this is being done by voluntary sector and not local authority. What works and RCTs *are ideological* nothing can replace professional judgement. Waht works doesn't work.
Meghan Merkel is not black. She is mixed race. You really should know the difference. It matters. Is no more accurate to say she is black than it is to say she is white.