Hello and welcome to the A&F Podcast. In this episode we're continuing to look at parenting from a distance and adoption disruption. It's a hugely sensitive matter with the impact on children adults and professionals often being catastrophic. Here, I speak to Amy an adoptive parent and social worker and she describes the events that led to crisis and the response of the system. 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

This episode resinated with so many of our listeners. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder remains under discussed with a growing understanding of the prevalence and impact that many children are living with.  In this episode of the A&F podcast we speak to adoptive parent and Neurodiversity Coaching Psychologist Anna Webster. She shares her experience of parenting a child with a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and the development of the Neurowise Programme on Therapeutic Caregiving for FASD.  It is a genuinely fascinating chat and we both drew lots of new information and thinking about the role of parents and the specific challenges parents and carers of children with FASD face.  Anna is on X here and Linkedin 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 AandF podcast Christmas special.  In this episode we streamed live to Facebook and chat with Fiona Wells from Patch. We unpack all that's been happening with the raised awareness of the levels of adversity all members of adoptive households are having. There is a crisis in the adoption community and Fiona has spearheaded the news and bringing of many families together.  Oh, and it's Christmas we share our top tips! It's a little raucous but that's how we roll.  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 AandF podcast.  In this episode I speak with Helio an adult adoptee, he shares his experience of being adopted from Brazil to an Italian family. There’s so much more to his story and as an adult he went onto what was a complex journey to reconnect with his biological mother. His resilience and the murky circumstances of his adoption are remarkable and it’s well worth a listen.  You can follow Helio on instagram 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 explore the importance of stripping everything back to the basics and showing up on a truly human level. It’s these foundations, warmth, consistency, repair and presence, that create safety and stability for our most traumatised children. We also reflect on how powerful our modelling is: what we, as professionals, model to parents and carers, and what they in turn model to the children in their care. When we get the basics right, everything else becomes possible.   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 of the adoption and fostering podcast. With the wide ranging coverage in the news of the UK's adoption crisis we focus in on that in this episode as well as the response from adoption agencies and the children's minister.  There's a lot to unpack but we give it a go and then have a little chat about the drop in foster carers in the UK and the review announced in to mental health and neurodiversity diagnosis announced.  BBC Adoption Crisis here Debate in Parliament transcript here Walking with Families Peer support 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

On the 19th November Al was invited to attend a conference in London organised by The Adoption Forum and this is his on the hoof podcast. Their goal is to bridge law, policy, and lived experience and to turn research and policy into practical, down to earth strategies that support children, families, and the professionals who work with them.  You can follow them on Linkedin here Al was able to speak to attendees and contributors, Anthea Benjamin, Mike Hancock from PAC UK , Sarah Beskine, Sophie Hill and Azariah Hope.   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 I speak to former foster carer and author Amelie. She shares her family story of a serious allegation made against them that led to her own children being removed from her care. It’s a stark account  and Amelie’s book, Broken, recounts that experience. Amelie is passionate to see change and help build a system that manages allegations better.   You can read Amelie's book here and follow her on instagram 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 AandF podcast.  *Warning!* We will be leaning into gender stereotypes. So, it's been a while since we had a proper natter so we catch up then dive into the tricky issue of mens'/dads' mental health and the specific challenges that adoption may bring. We think about blocked care and post adoption depression as well as consider how we access support and if we even want it? Here's a link to the research we reference around adoptive dads and if you're interested in joining Al's online peer support for adoptive parent caring for children with challenging behaviour follow this link and we'll share the details of the open groups and the dads' groups with you. There's also a FB group you can join 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

Podcast 30 - Professional Relationships   In this episode, we explore the power and complexity of professional relationships - how they shape our ability to ask for help, to trust, and to be trusted. We look at the systems we work within, and how they can both nurture and hinder the relationships we need to do our best work.    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 AandF podcast.  In this episode I speak to Dan Boxall-Simpson, he’s returned to the podcast to update us on the progress of EPIC Fostering the independent foster care agency he is in the process of setting up. He shares some of the challenges of navigating the process, Ofsted applications and more. It’s interesting to find out why now is a good time to do this and chat about their ethos and vision as a not for profit agency.  You can find out more about EPIC and EPIC family CIC 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.  In this  episode 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 Vicki McKeown psychotherapeutic Counsellor at VLM Therapy Ltd & Director at Better Me Better Us Ltd, social worker and panel member. She has broad experience of working with adopted children and their parents and shares insight to the causes and impacts across the system. 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 I speak to adoptee Andy Wallis. We talk about his experience of being an adoptee and the impact on his mental health in adulthood. This is a thought provoking conversation and Andy is honest about the the complexity of being an adoptee. Andy blogs on the subject as well as having told parts of his story in his book  Who's Wally? Adoption, Brian, and Me.  Website: www.whoswally.co.uk 📸 Instagram and TikTok: @whoswally73 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.wallis.3572 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-wallis-865ab6195/ 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

I speak to Fiona Wells, social worker, #adopter, #adoptee and #adoption reform campaigner about where we are this #NationalAdoptionWeek.  We talk all things adoption, trends, contact, the good and the bad.  It's an engaging chat and you can see the comments on Al's FB page here.  Patch's even can be found through their 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, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast.  As part of our look at the issue of adoption disruption in this episode I chat to Charlotte Jenkins. She is the founder of Beacon Family Services but acting as an independent social worker chairs adoption disruption meetings.  It’s a hugely sensitive subject matter and Charlotte explains how bringing together professionals and parents they can potentially make sense of what has happened, she also draws out themes that she has observed doing what is challenging 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, BlueSky or email us at AandFpodcast@gmail.com Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here  

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