CoramBAAF Conversations

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Our podcast series is dedicated to exploring topics related to adoption, fostering and kinship care. We invite children’s social care professionals and experts by experience to join us to share best practices, their experiences and knowledge.

  1. Aug 20

    Fostering Journal #24 | Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and adult adoptees on parenthood

    Read the Adoption & Fostering Journal on our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/adoption-fostering-journal  Visit out bookshop: https://corambaaf.org.uk/books   Sign up to hear about the journal: https://corambaaf.org.uk/subscribe  This episode of the Adoption and Fostering Journal Podcast introduces the July 2026 issue, offering key insights for academics and social work professionals.  Editor in chief Dennis Golm discusses David Zammitt and colleagues’ work on fetal alcohol syndrome disorder diagnoses. Noting that this is the first study of FASD in Scotland and that the UK has one of the highest rates of prenatal alcohol exposure in the world, Dennis discussed the difficulty of diagnosing the condition and the continuing stigma attached it, which can impact the way in which adoptive parents and their children are treated.  Other articles in the issue under discussion include work on adult adoptees, including a study on how they themselves deal with being parents, and a timely study on the mental health of children looked after before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.   There are also legal notes reviewing recent cases in the Scottish and Northern Irish courts and a Health Note on the sometimes overlooked importance of oral health as part of initial health assessments for children in care.  CoramBAAF  We are the UK’s leading membership organisation for professionals working across adoption, fostering and kinship care. We provide information, best practice guidance, advice, training and resources to support our members and influence policy to improve outcomes for children and young people.

  2. May 27

    Ep 49 | The Annex A case

    In this podcast, we are joined by Legal Consultant, Alexandra Conroy Harris and Adoption Consultant, Jane Poore as they discuss CoramBAAF’s recent role as intervenor in a High Court Case: Confidential Prospective Adopters v BM & Ors.   The discussion unpacks some of the legal and practice issues surrounding a potential disclosure of Annex A reports in court proceedings. CoramBAAF intervened in this case to highlight the potential consequences of a legal decision on the disclosure of the Annex A report, as well as the potential impact this precedent would place on practitioners, agencies and, most importantly, children and families.   Join the discussion to understand how court interventions work in practice, the role we play in representing our members, and the wider context of legal decisions on the adoption sector.

  3. May 5

    CoramBAAF Conversations EP 48 | Effective Fostering Panels author interview with Elaine Dibben

    Effective Fostering Panels is available to buy in our bookshop: https://corambaaf.org.uk/books/effective-fostering-panels In this short interview, Publications Manager Jo Francis sits down with Independent Consultant, Elaine Dibben to discuss the revised and updated Effective Fostering Panels published April 2026. We discuss how fostering panels have changed since the book’s first edition in 2003 due to evolving policy and practice level; particularly in relation to kinship care. Equally, how the book remains a crucial resource to support panels facing high turnover of members and the importance of maintaining consistency in recommendations. Elaine also shares her expert insight on the role of fostering panels in today’s fostering services, the crucial safeguarding role they play, and top tips for panel members, chairs and advisers. Listen to the author interview for details on: What is the enduring appeal of the book Effective Fostering Panels? • Do fostering panels still have an important role? What role do panels play in safeguarding? What should panel members remember when taking part? What should social workers keep in mind when attending panels? • What has been updated in the latest edition of the book? How has the approach to kinship care changed? Why is guidance like this book important for agencies? Why is wider training and networking important for panel members? About the book The revised and updated effective fostering panels is for panel members and social workers. It is a guide that brings together all the information you need to know about regulations, standards and inspections concerning fostering panels. It also sets out good practice to agencies in the operation of effective panels, relevant to all fostering service providers. Although the fostering regulations apply in England only, agencies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will find much of this practice applicable to their work. This revised edition covers recent changes in practice around areas such as virtual panels, and includes a fully updated and expanded chapter on considering kinship foster carers at the panel.

  4. Apr 20

    Adoption & Fostering Journal #23 | Reflective fostering and international perspectives on adoption

    This episode of the Adoption and Fostering Journal Podcast introduces the April 2026 issue, offering key insights for academics and social work professionals. Editor-in-Chief Dennis Golm discusses a major randomised controlled trial on the Reflective Fostering Programme, highlighting its impact on carers’ reflective functioning, stress, and burnout, while noting more mixed findings for child outcomes. The discussion emphasises the importance of evidence-based interventions in foster care.  The episode also explores research on conduct difficulties in children in care, comparisons between local authority and independent fostering provision in the UK, and international perspectives on adoption. Studies from the United States and Pakistan examine birth mothers’ motivations for adoption and the impact of stigma on adopted adolescents.  Overall, this issue brings together large-scale, global research addressing complex challenges in fostering and adoption, with important implications for policy, practice, and future research.

    Adoption & Fostering Journal #23 | Reflective fostering and international perspectives on adoption

  5. Mar 17

    Members' Week | Why social work matters: values, and the difference we make

    In this episode of the CoramBAAF Conversations podcast, James Bury speaks with Professor Samantha Baron, Interim Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), about the identity and future of social work. The conversation focuses on the importance of social work as a values-led, relational profession grounded in ethics, professional judgement and advocacy. We also discuss the role of membership organisations for social workers across the UK, including influencing policy, supporting professional development and strengthening the collective voice of the profession. Despite continuing pressures on the social care system, the discussion highlights the continued impact of social workers in improving people’s lives and the importance of maintaining a strong professional identity, confidence and voice across the sector.

  6. Feb 9

    Adoption & Fostering journal #22 | The Reflective Fostering Programme

    In this episode, Adoption & Fostering Production Editor, Vicky Walker, and Editor-in-Chief, Dr Dennis Golm, are joined by Professor Nick Midgley (University College London) and Expert by Experience, Jackie Tripp, a kinship carer. Nick and Jackie talk about the Reflective Fostering Programme, an intervention designed to help carers support the children in their care. The Programme was evaluated as part of a large-scale randomised controlled trial, which showed that it was not only beneficial for carers, reducing stress and burnout and improving the carer–child relationship, but also cost-effective. While Nick outlines the study and its findings, Jackie describes its life-changing impact on her as a participant in the Programme.  For related resources and more episodes visit our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/corambaaf-conversations

  7. Jan 6

    Adoption & Fostering journal #21 | Mental health status of orphans and vulnerable children

    In this episode, Vicky Walker and Dr Dennis Golm speak with three of the authors of the article Mental health status of orphans and vulnerable children in residential institutions in a city in South-West Nigeria from issue 3 of Volume 49 of ‘Adoption & Fostering’.  The authors describe the different types of residential institution for children in South-West Nigeria and the conditions in them, the mental health needs of the children looked after by these institutions and the availability of mental health assessments and services. They call for greater advocacy and training to enable screening and referrals within the institutions and earlier interventions. Dr Mercy Aladegboye, the lead author of this paper, is a research nurse currently working with University Hospitals Dorset, Bournemouth, UK. She obtained her PhD in Nursing from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. She’s also a fellow of the capacity for strengthening abortion research in Nigeria (CSARN). Mercy is passionate about using research to transform health care and promote wellbeing for all ages. This has inspired her keen interest in conducting clinical research and producing publications on vulnerable populations.    Dr Adekemi Olowokere is Professor of Community/Public Health Nursing in the Department of Nursing Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.  She is a registered nurse-midwife and public health nurse specialist with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Her research interests focus on alleviating vulnerability, debility and mortality among underserved populations in Nigeria. She is a fellow of the African Women Research Observatory (AfWORO).    Dr Abiola Komolafe is a senior lecturer in the Department of Nursing Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. She is a registered nurse-midwife, and a public health nurse. She obtained her Bachelor of Nursing Science, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Community Health Nursing from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Her research activities focus on sexual and reproductive health across the lifespan with a special focus on maternal and newborn care, and implementation science.

  8. 12/22/2025

    'Adoption & Fostering' journal #20 | Vol.49 Issue 4 introduction with Dr Dennis Golm and Vicky Walker

    Welcome to the latest episode of the Adoption & Fostering journal podcast. In this episode, hosts Vicky Walker and Dr. Dennis Golm discuss the contents of Volume 49, Issue 4, released in December 2025. Dennis talks through his editorial, which focuses on the impact of first name changes of adopted children by adoptive parents – the subject of one of the research studies presented in the issue. The hosts also offer a glimpse into the other topics covered: the inadequacy of the terms and conditions of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, the development of trust between foster carers and teenagers in Denmark, the risks of informal foster care practice in South-East Nigeria and the creation of adoptive ‘family’ in contemporary India. Listeners will also hear about the development of a GP-led initial health assessment model in Gloucestershire, which is easing the pressures on paediatric services and providing person-centred care for vulnerable children. Dennis and Vicky will be back with a new volume of the journal in January 2026! For related resources or to watch more episodes, visit our website: https://corambaaf.org.uk/resources/corambaaf-conversations

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About

Our podcast series is dedicated to exploring topics related to adoption, fostering and kinship care. We invite children’s social care professionals and experts by experience to join us to share best practices, their experiences and knowledge.

Information

  • Creator
    CoramBAAF
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © CoramBAAF 2023
  • Show Website
    CoramBAAF Conversations