Wales Contact the team Volunteering Policy Work Wales Training in Wales Training courses for the adoption community, including wider family members, kinship carers, foster carers and professionals working in adoption in Wales. Our fully funded courses are delivered online for participants in Wales. Courses can also be commissioned by adoption and fostering agencies in Wales. For further details and a full list of all available courses, please contact [email protected] Life Journey Work (open to all in Wales) This session will help de-mystify Life Journey Work and introduces the Wales National Adoption Service’s Life Journey Work Good Practice Guide, Framework and Toolkit. These documents are available on the NAS website . An opportunity to ask all those niggling questions and hear some practical suggestions to help children understand their background and promote a positive sense of identity. Monday 22nd May, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Awareness (open to all in Wales) An introduction to a range of practical Non-Violent Resistance approaches. This session provides information about what NVR is (and is not). It will help parents, carers and practitioners decide whether Non-Violent Resistance would be beneficial in specific situations where child to parent violence (verbal and/or physical) is a regular occurrence. Friday 26th May, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register 2nd Time Round Adoption (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This course is for families who are adopting for a second time. The session provides an opportunity to consider the impact on adopters and their previously adopted child when a second child is placed for adoption. Participants will reflect on the potential dilemmas posed by the differing needs of all the children involved and discuss a range of ideas for preparing for and understanding the changes. Wednesday 7th June, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Understanding Attachment (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This interactive course gives participants an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what we mean when we talk about “attachment issues”. Participants will explore ways attachment issues can manifest in children and why, and consider practical ways to support children with attachment issues. “Thinking of your child as behaving badly disposes you to think of punishment. Thinking of your child as struggling to handle something difficult encourages you to help them through their distress” Anon By the end of the session participants will have : gained a deeper understanding of what attachment is; explored ways in which attachment issues can manifest in children and why; • considered practical ways to support children with attachment issues. Thursday 22nd June, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Settling in (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This course is for adopters who are in the early days of their adoption journeys. It will be an opportunity to learn more about matching, introductions, how to help a child feel at home with you, managing the transition from foster care to a “forever home” and what will be important to the child from their life before they joined your family. Adopters are invited to come along with those niggling questions and explore their hopes and any concerns for their journey into parenthood. Thursday 6th July, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Awareness (open to all in Wales) An introduction to a range of practical Non-Violent Resistance approaches. This session provides information about what NVR is (and is not). It will help parents, carers and practitioners decide whether Non-Violent Resistance would be beneficial in specific situations where child to parent violence (verbal and/or physical) is a regular occurrence. Tuesday 11th July, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register The Power of Play (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) A practical, fun half-day workshop that explores play and its benefits for children who are adopted. An opportunity for parents to explore their own relationship with play and how it impacts on how they play with their children. Parents will consider how play can help build attachment with their child before looking at therapeutic play. Parents will have the opportunity to build a toolbox of practical ideas and start compiling a “play plan” for their children. Wednesday 20th September, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register When the senses don't make sense (open to all in Wales) A training workshop providing opportunities to talk about the links between sensory and emotional issues for adopted children, and how using connected play and developing relationships can help in child development. This workshop is led by a children’s Occupational Therapist, trained and supervised in DDP who is also an adoptive parent. Monday 25th September, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Getting to know the adopted child in your family (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This course is based on the online course developed with AFA Cymru and available on the NAS website. Designed for family members and friends of adoptive families to help them understand the impact of early trauma on adopted children. Sometimes adoptive families tell us that their family and friends struggle to understand the support needed when times get tough. Participants will consider what happens to a child physically, emotionally and psychologically as a result of difficult early life experiences and find out more about therapeutic parenting and why “love isn’t enough” and “all children don’t do that”! Thursday 12th October, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register Life Journey Work (open to all in Wales) This session will help de-mystify Life Journey Work and introduces the Wales National Adoption Service’s Life Journey Work Good Practice Guide, Framework and Toolkit. These documents are available on the NAS website . An opportunity to ask all those niggling questions and hear some practical suggestions to help children understand their background and promote a positive sense of identity. Tuesday 17th October, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Awareness (open to all in Wales) An introduction to a range of practical Non-Violent Resistance approaches. This session provides information about what NVR is (and is not). It will help parents, carers and practitioners decide whether Non-Violent Resistance would be beneficial in specific situations where child to parent violence (verbal and/or physical) is a regular occurrence. Tuesday 24th October, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register When the senses don't make sense (open to all in Wales) A training workshop providing opportunities to talk about the links between sensory and emotional issues for adopted children, and how using connected play and developing relationships can help in child development. This workshop is led by a children’s Occupational Therapist, trained and supervised in DDP who is also an adoptive parent. Monday 13th November, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Health and Development (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This course is based on the online course developed with AFA Cymru and available on the NAS website. Participants will learn about healthy child development and reflect on why some children progress at a different pace to others. The materials will help parents decide “is this something I should be concerned about, or is it a normal part of development?” Practical guidance will be provided about what to look out for and who to approach for support. Tuesday 14th November, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Awareness (open to all in Wales) An introduction to a range of practical Non-Violent Resistance approaches. This session provides information about what NVR is (and is not). It will help parents, carers and practitioners decide whether Non-Violent Resistance would be beneficial in specific situations where child to parent violence (verbal and/or physical) is a regular occurrence. Tuesday 21st November, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Getting ready for school (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This course has been designed by our Lead Education Officer for Wales and is aimed at parents with pre-school/recently placed children. The course will provide up-to-date information about how to choose the school best suited to a child’s needs. Participants will explore how to help their child settle into the school environment and who can assist with this. The significance of big (and small) transitions in relation to school will also be discussed. Friday 1st December, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register Contact – what does it really mean? (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) This course is based on the online course developed with AFA Cymru and available on the National Adoption Service website. It provides space for adoptive parents to reflect on the benefits and risks associated with contact. Participants will be given the opportunity to think about who might be significant for their child to have contact with and how this could happen. Participants will discuss how to support a child through the process and reflect on their own feelings about contact. Monday 8th January 2024, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register When the senses don't make sense (open to all in Wales) A training workshop providing opportunities to talk about the links between sensory and emotional issues for adopted children, and how using connected play and developing relationships can help in child development. This workshop is led by a children’s Occupational Therapist, trained and supervised in DDP who is also an adoptive parent. Monday 29th January, 10am - 12.30pm (online) Register Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Awareness (open to all in Wales) An introduction to a range of practical Non-Violent Resistance approaches. This session provides information about what NVR is (and is not). It will help parents, carers and practitioners decide whether Non-Violent Resistance would be beneficial in specific situations where child to parent violence (verbal and/or physical) is a regular occurrence. Tuesday 30th January 2024, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register Life Journey Work (open to all in Wales) This session will help de-mystify Life Journey Work and introduces the Wales National Adoption Service’s Life Journey Work Good Practice Guide, Framework and Toolkit. These documents are available on the NAS website . An opportunity to ask all those niggling questions and hear some practical suggestions to help children understand their background and promote a positive sense of identity. Thursday 8th February 2024, 10.00am – 12.30pm (online) Register Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) Awareness (open to all in Wales) An introduction to a range of practical Non-Violent Resistance approaches. This session provides information about what NVR is (and is not). It will help parents, carers and practitioners decide whether Non-Violent Resistance would be beneficial in specific situations where child to parent violence (verbal and/or physical) is a regular occurrence. Wednesday 6th March 2024, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Challenging Behaviour (for adoptive parents in their first 3 years of adoption in Wales) For those who want to understand more about challenging behaviour – what triggers it, the unmet need beneath it, how to manage it and how to reduce it. There will be an opportunity to consider a range of strategies that work for children who have experienced trauma in their early weeks, months and years. The course is suitable for all parents, carers and practitioners, particularly those with younger children who are keen to understand any emerging behaviours that they are concerned about. This course is based on the online course developed with AFA Cymru and available on the National Adoption Service website. Wednesday 27th March 2024, 6.30pm – 9.00pm (online) Register Back to the top Manage Cookie Preferences