SWAC Open Sessions
These are held monthly and are open to anyone, in any role, working in or with a SWAC agency, whether as a social worker, support worker, in an administrative capacity, as a panel chair or panel member. These sessions are also open to IROs in the local authorities linked to the three SWAC RAAs.
The Open Sessions are all held virtually via Teams. They take the form of a presentation by a speaker followed by questions and discussion, so are suitable for social workers to record as CPD. There is no need to sign up in advance to them, just join us on the day. The Teams links are embedded in this newsletter, or you can email Heather or Becky for the link. Information about Open Sessions and the Teams links is also sent out directly to as many people as possible within all the SWAC agencies.
We are now recording most of these sessions, if the presenter and those attending agree to us doing so. Ask Heather if you would like access to any of the recordings. We only record the presentation, not the discussions which follow, so attendance in person is still always best.
Safeguarding in Adoption and Special Guardianship
Emeritus Professor Keith Moultrie from the Institute of Public Care at Oxford Brookes University will share the recently published research findings into Safeguarding in the context of Adoption and Special Guardianship.
— 12th March 2026 – 9.30-11.00 am
FASD
Dr Alan Price, a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Salford, whose main research interest is foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), will present a session on FASD, looking at the neurodevelopmental presentation, complications, and support strategies.
— 21st April 2026 – 9.30-11.00 am
Walking with Families
Led by Al Coates, social worker and adoptive parent.
— 19th May 2026 – 9.30-11.00 am
Safeguarding in a Digital World
Led by Jane Poore from CoramBAAF.
— 16th June 2026 – 9.30-11.00 am
‘I Lived for those Mornings’
Birth parents’ experiences of visiting their children in care, led by Polly Baynes, University of Bristol.
— 9th July 2026 – 9.30-11.00 am
For joining details, please contact Heather Freeman at heather.freeman@ccsadoption.org or Becky Hosken at becky@ccsadoption.org.
