Hello and welcome to  Conversations from the A&F podcast 

In this episode I speak to Dan Boxall_Simpson a Foster Carer, special guardian and fostering panel member 

Dan shares his experience of becoming a foster carer with his husband and how that opened up many of the things that came afterwards including the decision to become a special guardian for two of the children they fostered. Dan is now in the process of starting an independent foster care  agency through a community interest company in his area to meet the needs of vulnerable children where he lives. 

Website www.epicfamilycic.co.uk

Facebook 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 [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast, we're in the same country so after a very busy day at the FASD Ireland Conf we took to bed (think Morecambe and Wise) and unpacked the day's events as well as catching up with the latest news from the world of adoption and fostering and house moves!

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 [email protected]

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Hello and welcome to Conversations from the A&F podcast In this episode I speak to Tristian Smith a US care experienced adult. He shares his vivid experience of coming into the care system after a difficult kinship care arrangement. Tristian with his brother moved several times, experienced a failed adoption and then separation from his young er brother. It’s a difficult listen as he shares his story. Tristian now looks to support and encourage other young people in the care system and has written his experiences in his book Against All Odds.

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 [email protected]

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Hello and welcome to this third episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You can read the full report here.

In this podcast I reflect on conversations with carers and practitioners that support parents and children in the context of respite arrangements.  It is a model of practice rarely seen in the UK and not available from statutory support services. The model of intervention explored from two settings in North America raised questions about perceptions of family and how intervening to rebuild and reform families can be an affective solution for some.

‘I came to the conclusion, if parents aren’t ok then kids can’t be ok.’                                                          

Tanya Eichler, Interwoven Connections Clinical Lead in the AFFCA Family Support Programme.

This month we’re diving into the topic of risk. Are we too risk averse? And what does that really mean in the world of parenting, adoption and fostering, education, and social work.  Join us as we explore how fear of risk and the consequences shapes decision-making, and what impact it has on the young people we’re trying to support. This conversation invites you to consider where caution helps and where it might be holding us back.

As always you can connect with us through the following -

Instagram- BMBUltd

Facebook – Better Me Better Us

Email – [email protected]

Al was invited to attend the 2025 Adoption England Conference (Moving Forwards) in London. So, he off he went with his C30 tapes and trusty recorder and was able to grab a few interviews with attendees and contributors. The conversations cover a range of subjects; Early Permanence, the ASGSF, opportunities, adoptee voices, pre order disruption with kind contributions from the following:

Vicky Davidson Boyd - Adoption Tees Valley

Emily Frith Adoption UK

Nathanial-Elliot Coad Youth Network

Sarah Johal Adoption England

Prof Beth Neil University of East Anglia. 

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 [email protected]

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Spotify here

Google here

Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F Network. 

Hello and welcome to this second episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You can read the full report here.

Developing the themes in Part 1 this podcast considers how parents and carers are supported by focused organisations. Rather than look at specific models of intervention, of which there are many,  it considered how families interacted and accessed the interventions and specifically how they were delivered to the families. Again, drawing heavily from Interwoven Connections based in Ontario, Canada the interplay of parent/carer, peer supporter and clinical staff is highlighted.

‘It’s never about whether a parent is doing a great job. They’re doing the very best they can with what they’ve got.’

Lillyth Quillin, Parents of Children with Conduct Disorter, California, USA

In this episode we have the now almost obligatory ASSGSF intro and the get to the business on hand. We invited the All Party Parliamentary Group on Adoption and Permanence steering committee chair Siobhan Rhodes to come on and talk about the work they're doing to gather the voices of people who are adopted. We chat about what that is with the APPG is and you can complete the survey for Adoptee Voices 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 [email protected]

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

We pulled this episode together at short notice to promote the work of adoptive parent Clare Solomon joined by Euan Preston of the Potato group to talk about the upcoming march to protest against the changes to the ASGSF.

We chat through the changes and what they are looking to achieve through the petition and the march. You can sign the petition here, or find out more about the march on the 3rd May to Downing Street here and find out more about them on their Facebook page 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 [email protected]

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here Spotify here

Hello and welcome to this first episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You can read the full report here.

This episode draws on peer support specialists working directly with parents and carers living with children with challenging and aggressive behaviour. Focusing on Canada & the USA it considers different models of peer support including social media, virtual and in person. It then considers the role of peer mentors specifically in the Canadian organisation Interwoven Connections based across the province of Ontario that serves a large community through virtual means. 

‘The best way to help families is one at a time. What each individual family needs is so unique the only way to truly help families is by addressing each unique needs and concerns one at a time.’

Lillyth Quillin, Parents of Children with Conduct Disorder, California, USA