In this episode we speak to Paul White the CEO of Hidden Disability Sunflower. Paul explains how he was led to start the Sunflower Lanyards and how they have transformed the lives of thousands of children and adults who have seen the benefits of the international accepted scheme supporting individuals in public spaces, shops and while travelling. 

If you are interested in finding out more and getting your hands on a lanyard or signing your organisation up to the scheme then you can do that 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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast. 

In this episode we speak to Nancy about her experience of entering the care system as a very little child, growing up in foster homes and ultimately  working with children and families to promote the voice of children and create paths to healing for them. Nancy has lived a remarkable life and in some parts this is  a hard listen but certainly thought provoking. 

Nancy's website is here and her FB 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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and Welcome to the A&F podcast, this week we're really pleased to have Social Worker and project lead from the National Adoption Strategy Team looking at digital contact. Vicky outlines the work that is going on across the sector as well as the specific trials that are currently being carried out in terms of 'letter swap' a digital contact system. It's an exciting project that has the potential to drag the system into the 21st century so we're really pleased to hear what she has to say. 

The interview starts at 19:30 as we've a lot to catch up on in terms of what's been going on with ourselves and specifically Scott has been launching the FASD Hub Ireland and I've been training in Sunderland's second most haunted building (who knew?).

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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast. 

In this episode we speak adoptive parent Eliza.

Eliza shares her experience of a adoption with her partner and her experience of good support as she has tried to coordinate contact with her child’s large sibling group who are all living in different permanency arrangements. 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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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In this episode we asked for questions and topics as a guest had pulled out at the last moment. We mansplain our way through assessment of need, international adoption and unpack a whole load of social media thinking.   

You can find the Regs we spoke of here

HR would like to apologise to Helmut from Austria

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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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One of our contributors at the annual Adoption & Fostering Podcast Conference was Angela Frazer-Wicks, birth parent and chair of trustees at the Family Rights Group as well as a key note speaker and campaigner. She shares her experience of maintaining links with her children after their adoption, the challenges of an inconsistent system and professional support as well as navigating the feelings of all parties to the adoption. 

It is a fantastic insight to a world that can be opaque for professionals, adopters and adopted children and Angela was also able to answer some of the questions that attendees asked. 

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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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We thought we'd do a #WednesdayWebcast on LGBTQ+ Fostering & Adoption Week and more.........

Who knows where that will all go! We talk, cost of living, Ukrainian children and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. 

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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, after a much needed catch up, we speak to Jay Vaughn MBE from Family Futures (starting at 19:17).

Jay is the CEO and co founder of Family Futures and asked to come onto the podcast to share news about their new venture into fostering. We chat about that as well as reflect on the wider issues that impact on children in this community including the ASF, therapy and helping children. 

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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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Hello and welcome to conversations from the A and F podcast. 

In this episode we speak adult Adoptee Rodney, he shares his experience of adoption in New Zealand in the 1960’s and then moving to the UK in the 70’s. As a young adult he reconnected with his maternal family, a complicated and challenging experience that raised more questions than it answered. 

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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

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In this episode we're really happy to speak to Nick Burke a post adoption social worker. Nick speaks from a personal perspective across a range of issues that impact on adoption and social workers and it's fantastic to get a real live social worker on the podcast. We discuss a whole range of issues that are unique to adoption and post adoption support. 

The discussed BASW report can be found 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 or twitter or email us at [email protected]

Listen/subscribe on iTunes here

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