Training for Adoption South East adopters

Adoption UK is running a range of training courses for adopters and prospective adopters registered with Adoption South East.

Our training helps adopters develop their knowledge and skills at all stages of the adoption journey.

All training programmes are delivered by professional trainers who, first and foremost, are adoptive parents themselves, and therefore understand the challenges and rewards of parenting an adopted child.

If you are unable to register for a course, this may be because it has reached capacity and bookings have closed. Please either book onto the next available session, if available, or e-mail [email protected] to be put on a waiting list and title your e-mail ASE waiting - course title.

Your views on our training courses are needed!

We are running a series of virtual focus groups on Zoom, where people who have attended our Adoption South East training courses can provide feedback on their experience, the course content, the trainer, and any benefits or impact seen so far.

The first forums were held in July and November 2022 and there will be another in April 2023.

Attending one of the focus groups does not commit you to attend further training sessions.

Book any of the courses here

Above and Beyond

Child on Parent violence (CPV) is an area which is increasingly recognised as a major factor in the breakdown of adoption and foster care placements. Above and Beyond is a workshop developed to provide you with strategies for families to de-escalate child on parent violence.

28th March 2023 - 9:30 -3:30pm

Supporting siblings

Adoption UK and Adoption South East are pleased to provide a peer- learning online training programme to parents and carers focussing on supporting siblings within your family. This training will help you to develop practical strategies to use in your home.

4th May 2023 - 29th June 2023, every Thursday 7.30-9pm (no session 1st June)
Length of course: 8 weeks

Trauma and attachment

Learn more about trauma-informed approaches and how you can help your child(ren) overcome adverse childhood experiences.

11th May 2023 - 9:45am-1:15pm

Parenting our teens

Parenting our Teens is peer-led and will help parents of teenagers gain an understanding of their teenagers’ needs, learn strategies to help their teenager and themselves, and get some valuable peer support. This course specifically addresses many of the key issues faced by parents with teens who have experienced trauma in their early life, including mental and emotional health, staying connected, issues with school, self-harm, aggression, and parental self-care. This course is ASF funded.

Saturday 3 June 2023
Saturday 10 June 2023
Saturday 1 July 2023
Saturday 8 July 2023

Registration 9.30am, day ends at 4.00pm

Venue: The Orchard, Gleneagles Court, Crawley, RH10 6AD

Telling about Adoption

The workshop will focus on children from placement through primary school or late primary and secondary school stages and include the practicalities and potential difficulties involved in undertaking life story work. You will examine some basic principles of child development and identity, and be asked to consider age-appropriate explanations linked to a child’s developmental stage and to practice telling and explaining.

Children from placement through primary school

6th June 2023 - 9:30am - 1:00pm

Sensory integration

This session will enable you to understand the effect of sensory processing disorder and differentiate between this and trauma-triggered behaviours. This session is suitable for those who have had a child placed with them, and the content is aimed at those who are within the first few years of their adoption journey.

14 June 2023 - 9:30am - 1:00pm

Keeping in touch; thinking about contact in adoption

The workshop will examine the experience of contact from the perspective of the child, the birth family and adoptive parents. Looking at different types of contact, you will be asked to consider what good contact looks and feels like. The session is aimed at improving your skills and approaches to supporting our children. It will also be an opportunity to network and share experiences.

20th June 2023 - 7.30pm - 9pm

Parenting our teens

This four day programme of support, for parents to gain an understanding of their teenagers needs, learn strategies to help their teenager and themselves, help to improve key relationships and find some valuable peer support.

Places on this course will be allocated through ASE.

Parenting our children

This is a research-based, six-day programme of support starting in October, for parents to gain an understanding of their adopted children’s needs, particularly developmental trauma, and to receive valuable peer support.

Places on this course will be allocated through ASE following the submission of an expression of interest form.

Getting ready for placement

This session is aimed at supporting and helping to prepare prospective adopters and approved adopters waiting for a match with a child or children.

Places on this course will be allocated through ASE.

Managing Anger & Defiance

This learning programme addresses parenting the child in the context of parenting ‘attitude’ and allowing parents to see their role as therapeutic parents, working to avoid re-triggering their child’s trauma and encourage engagement and reciprocity.The course will look at strategies from the perspective of an understanding of anger, both the child’s and the parent’s anger, and its origin in fear.“It’s not their fault and it isn’t yours either!”

Places on this course will be allocated through ASE following the submission of an expression of interest form.

Book any of the courses

Please email [email protected] for further details.