Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research findings mean to your practice.

In the first episode of the series, we asked two experts to summarise the research on adoption disruption, and explain what social workers can learn from it.

Community Care Inform subscribers can visit Inform Children and Inform Adults for more detailed information and guidance.

The experts
Julie Selwyn is professor and director at the Hadley Centre for Adoption and Foster Care Studies at the University of Bristol, and author of the research discussed in this podcast.

Elaine Dibben is consultant for adoption and fostering charity CoramBAAF.
The podcast is presented by Ruth Hardy, assistant content editor at Community Care Inform.

0.00 – 7:35
Julie Selwyn discusses her research ‘Beyond the adoption order’, which looked at adoption disruption rates in England and Wales.

7:35 – 16:50
Julie Selwyn talks about her paper on adolescent to parent violence, which emerged as a common factor in families who have experienced adoption disruption. Elaine Dibben discusses how social workers should approach adoption cases.

16:50 – 28:30
Julie Selwyn summarises her paper on the foster care experiences of children who later struggle with adoptive family life. Elaine Dibben talks about the importance of the transition process between foster care and adoption placement.

28:30 – end
Conclusion, thank you to our panellists, and a final word from Julie Selwyn.

References
Meakings, S J and Selwyn, J (2016)
‘‘She was a foster mother who said she didn’t give cuddles’: The adverse early foster care experiences of children who later struggled with adoptive family life’
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Volume 21, pp509-519

Selwyn, J and Meakings, S (2016)
‘Adolescent to parent violence in adoptive families’
British Journal of Social Work, Volume 46, pp1224-1240

Wijedasa, D and Selwyn, J (2014)
Beyond the adoption order: an investigation of adoption disruption in Wales
University of Bristol

Selwyn, J and Meakings, S (2015)
Beyond the adoption order (Wales): Discord and disruption in adoptive families
University of Bristol

Selwyn, J; Wijedasa, D and Meakings, S (2014)
Beyond the adoption order: challenges, interventions and adoption disruption
Department for Education

Selwyn, J; Meakings, S and Wijedasa, D (2015)
Beyond the Adoption Order: challenges, interventions and disruptions
London: BAAF