There were 2,960 children adopted in England in 2023, according to the Department for Education, a 2% decrease from 2022. The average time between a child entering care and being placed for adoption was 1 year and 7 months in 2023, up from 1 year 6 months in 2022. It then takes a further 10 months, on average, for an adoption order to be granted and the adoption to be completed. A survey of adoptive parents by Adoption UK has found their children are around 20 times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than their classmates.
Most adoption activity in England is now undertaken by Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs), in line with government policy to move to a regional delivery model, with these agencies undertake varying degrees of adoption recruitment and support services on behalf of local authorities.
Ofsted’s thematic review of adoption services provided by RAAs, published in March 2024, finds that day-to-day adoption practice by RAAs is strong, but many of the challenges that led to regionalisation remain unresolved. Demand for adoption support often exceeds the resources available to RAAs, meaning some individuals and families do not receive the support they need, when they need it. Meanwhile, there continues to be a national shortage of adopters. Transparency and communication issues, mismatches between children and parents, lengthy due diligence timeframes, ineffective permanancy planning are still key challenges that need to be resolved.
This symposium will offer local authorities, voluntary adoption agencies, children’s care services, schools, mental health services, social workers, third sector bodies, and relevant judicial agencies with a timely opportunity to examine the state of adoption in the UK and discuss how to increase adoption numbers and strengthen partnerships working to deliver excellent and innovative adoption services nationwide.
The National Supporting Autistic People and People with a Learning Disability Conference 2024 will seek to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges that autistic people and people living with a learning disability experience, advocate for inclusivity and support and demolish the barriers preventing individuals the opportunity to thrive and succeed.
The programme is devised to further the knowledge agenda and features addresses from expert contributors tasked with developing policy and practices, as well as professionals facilitating practical interventions and effective strategies to support and improve circumstances. Furthermore, as part of the speaker line up, we are privileged to have presenters with lived experience who will highlight the realities of their lives and their aspirations for the future.
Delegates will have the opportunity to exchange insights, experiences, and best practices through a series of discussion and debate sessions during the plenary sessions with further interaction facilitated through casual networking breaks..
Book your place today at the National Supporting Autistic People and People with a Learning Disability Conference 2024 and be part of the narrative to make a difference and induce positive change.
The H&F Cost of Living – Summer Alliance Conference is on 11 July.
The Eventbrite link is: H&F Cost of Living – Summer Alliance Conference, 11 July 2024 – sign up for eventbrite tickets
Research shows that 25,000-30,000 of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder after giving birth in the UK each year. Studies have also demonstrated a link between baby loss, PTSD and depression.
Attend Westminster Insight’s Supporting Women through Birth Trauma and Pregnancy Loss Digital Conference to hear practical guidance from a panel of experts, including the recommendations from the recent Inquiries.
- The Birth Trauma Inquiry launched in UK Parliament in January 2024, and will develop policy recommendations to reduce the rate of birth trauma and improve care and support for mothers and their partners.
- The Pregnancy Loss Review made recommendations aiming to improve the safety and care experience for all those who have a pre-24-week baby loss.
We will highlight examples of good practice in providing support to women who have had traumatic birth experiences, or experienced baby loss. Attend online to meet your colleagues and share best practice and challenges.
15% of UK households – some 8 million adults and 3 million children – experienced food insecurity in January 2024. 60% of food-insecure households reported buying less fruit and 44% bought fewer vegetables. In January 2023, the Food Foundation estimated 24% of households with children were living in food insecurity. The largest network of foodbanks in the UK, the Trussell Trust, provided a record 2.99 million three-day emergency food supplies in 2022/23. Children are facing the brunt of rising UK food poverty. 3% of the UK population used a food bank in 2021/22, including 6% of children. According to government data, 4.7 million people (7%) in the UK were in food insecure households in 2021/22, including 12% of children. Of the 11 million people identified to be in relative poverty, 15% were in food-insecure households, including 21% of children who also comprised the highest percentage of people living in households with ‘very low’ food security in 2021/22. It is estimated that 2 million pupils, or 23.8% of state-funded pupils, were eligible for free school meals (FSM) as of January 2023. According to government figures, pupils eligible for FSM typically perform worse in GCSEs than other students.
In England, the government’s FSM initiatives require local authorities to provide eligible pupils with weekday nutritious term-time meals. If eligible for free school meals, families will receive a monthly ‘cost of living’ voucher, worth £15 per month, per child, with an additional payment of £30 for the summer and for December, totalling £240 a year per child. Additionally, the Healthy Start NHS scheme helps women who are pregnant or have young children and are receiving benefits, to buy foods such as milk or fruit. Presently, a Private Member’s School Breakfast Bill, sponsored by Emma Lewell-Buck MP, is being debated in Parliament.
The Local Government Association (LGA) urges the government to raise the eligibility requirements for Healthy Start and FSM to all Universal Credit-eligible households, switch to an automatic FSM enrolment mechanism, and support multi-sector food partnerships. According to the LGA, the primary safety net for all low-income households should be the national benefit system. However, it does not cover people’s real cost of living which is the main cause of food poverty. More than half of Universal Credit users experienced food hardship in September 2022. Several English councils offer FMS to all primary school students in their districts despite severe financial constraints, including Southwark Council, where 38% of children are impoverished, whereas many families earning more than £7,400 per year would not qualify for FSM under the national offer. The Food Foundation agrees, stating that the government’s approach has ‘missed the mark’ because rising numbers of low-income households are now even more vulnerable to diet-related illnesses. Similar criticism of the present FSM eligibility process has come from the Child Poverty Action Group, which has warned against means testing. Under the No Child Left Behind campaign, the National Education Union is also advocating for FSM for all English primary school students. In Scotland and Wales, meanwhile, government money is enabling primary schools to transition to providing FSM for all students.
This symposium will serve as an invaluable opportunity to bring together stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, charities, local authorities, policymakers, and schools, to discuss the underlying causes of child food poverty evaluate current efforts to tackle food insecurity and improve access to healthy food, and exchange views on avenues for improvement.
Programme
- Examine government policies to combat child food poverty, such as Healthy Start and Free School Meals
- Discuss how the cost-of-living crisis has affected child food poverty and the services provided to food-insecure children
- Determine the root causes of child food poverty and evaluate possible solutions
- Discuss the roles that charities, local government, and schools should play in ending child food poverty
- Establish the importance of early intervention in reducing adverse outcomes for food-insecure children
- Analyse ways to bridge the gap between food waste and child food poverty
- Discuss ways to bolster nutritional safety nets to shield children from undernourishment and improve diets
- Consider increasing the role of food education in the school curriculum
Webinar 11th July 2024. To register for the briefing, please click here.
Research shows that 25,000-30,000 of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder after giving birth in the UK each year. Studies have also demonstrated a link between baby loss, PTSD and depression.
Attend Westminster Insight’s Supporting Women through Birth Trauma and Pregnancy Loss Digital Conference to hear practical guidance from a panel of experts, including the recommendations from the recent Inquiries.
- The Birth Trauma Inquiry launched in UK Parliament in January 2024, and will develop policy recommendations to reduce the rate of birth trauma and improve care and support for mothers and their partners.
- The Pregnancy Loss Review made recommendations aiming to improve the safety and care experience for all those who have a pre-24-week baby loss.
Chaired by Kim Thomas, CEO, Birth Trauma Association, we will highlight examples of good practice in providing support to women and their partners who have had traumatic birth experiences, or experienced baby loss.
We recommend early booking – use code early4290 to receive a 20% discount when you book online before Friday 17th May.
Confirmed Speakers:
- Chair: Kim Thomas, CEO, Birth Trauma Association
- Dr Hazel Keedle, Senior Lecturer of Midwifery at The School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University
- Professor Angie Doshani, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Dr Rebecca Moore, Perinatal Psychiatrist & Co-founder, Make Birth Better
- Dr Athena Duffy, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Psychology Lead for Perinatal Mental Health Community Service (PMHCS), Maternal Mental Health Service (Thrive) and Rosewood Mother and Baby Unit (MBU), Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
Full speaker list to be confirmed shortly.
Key points:
- Learning from the Birth Trauma Inquiry
- Acting on the Pregnancy Loss Review
- Supporting women recovering from trauma and PTSD associated with baby loss and/or birth trauma
- Addressing inequalities in treatment among ethnic minority groups
- Diagnosing and treating women’s physical and mental health problems
- Improving the quality and accessibility of information regarding trauma and baby loss
- Ensuring that care is compassionate, individualised, and respectful
- Integrating trauma-informed care across maternity care services
- Supporting and empowering staff
- Exploring EMDR psychotherapy and its role in helping individuals to process and recover from past traumatic experiences.
* View Agenda <https://www.westminsterinsight.com/conferences-and-events/birth-trauma-and-pregnancy-loss/?booking_code=EB1-3762834>
We are delighted that the 16th annual Trustee Exchange returns to BMA House on the 24th April 2024.
The Trustee Exchange programme is designed to provide excellent coverage of a wide range of topical matters that are relevant to charity trustees, regardless of organisational size. Don’t miss out, book now.
Featuring three themed streams, panel debates and insightful keynotes, we are delighted to give you the opportunity to come together in-person to share best practice, discuss ideas and challenges, and network with fellow delegates.
Westminster Insight’s Volunteer Management Conference is ideally timed to look at the key challenges and opportunities facing volunteer managers in 2024 and to explore what the future looks like for volunteering in the UK.
You will learn how to adapt every aspect of the volunteer journey to challenging times, including; planning, recruitment, induction, support, and development.
Hear directly from a member of the NHS Volunteering Taskforce about their recommendations for optimising volunteer time to improve service delivery, which can be applied to all organisations.
Put your questions to a panel of volunteers about what contributes towards a good volunteer experience and explore how to improve retainment through reward, recognition and routes to paid roles.
Take away advice on how to improve your advertising and recruiting to ensure you are reaching diverse audiences, overcoming any barriers to inclusivity and engaging the new generation of volunteers.
Minimise risk to your organisation by having your legal queries answered in our legal troubleshooting session covering issues such as safeguarding, data protection, health and safety and equality.
We recommend early booking. We look forward to bringing you the programme and speaker line-up shortly. Receive 20% off until Friday 1st March 2024 with discount code EARLY4203.
We are delighted to give you advance notice of our new Volunteer Management Conference, taking place on 30th April 2024.
Join us for a full day of insightful discussions, networking and knowledge sharing as we discuss the key challenges and opportunities facing volunteer managers in 2024 and explore what the future looks like for volunteering in the UK.
You will learn how to adapt every aspect of the volunteer journey to challenging times, including; planning, recruitment, induction, support, and development.
Hear directly from expert speakers and take away advice on how to improve your advertising and recruiting to ensure you are reaching diverse audiences, overcoming any barriers to inclusivity and engaging the new generation of volunteers.
Minimise risk to your organisation by having your legal queries answered in our legal troubleshooting session covering issues such as safeguarding, data protection, health and safety and equality.
We recommend early booking.We look forward to bringing you the programme and speaker line-up shortly. Receive 20% off until Friday 1st March 2024 with discount code early4203.
We are delighted to give you advance notice of Westminster Insight’s Neurodivergence in Education Conference, taking place in Central London and Online on Tuesday 26th March 2024.
Every classroom is neurodiverse. At this practical one-day conference, we will share the latest insights and practical guidance for supportingneurodivergent students in education, and building inclusive cultures that allow all students to thrive.
By adopting a whole school approach to neurodiversity, you will<> promote belonging for neurodivergent students and create a neurodivergent-friendly workplace culture which also supports staff.
At this timely conference, you will hear from experts in education and neurodiversity on how to better identify neurodivergence in students and improve your understanding of the key challenges for neurodivergent pupils. You will hear best practice guidance for creating a positive learning environment, empowering neurodivergent learners<> and tailoring approaches to the needs of the individual student.
We will share practical solutions to help neurodivergent students to develop personal resilience and improve self-esteem; and approaches that prioritise inclusion and well-being. We will spotlight the link between neurodivergence on mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, and emotionally based school avoidance. We will focus on trauma-informed education, and you will learn how to adapt teaching techniques to improve accessibility and outcomes. We will also discuss protective factors that can help to avoid or minimise burnout for neurodivergent pupils.
Gain updates on policy and guidance for supporting neurodivergent pupils in education, including recent Government proposals to enhance support for neurodivergent pupils following the publication of its SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan.
Bringing together practical case studies and specialist insights, attend to meet experts in neurodiversity and education, Headteachers, SENDCOs, mental health support teams and more, from across the country.
We recommend early booking. We look forward to bringing you the programme and speaker line-up shortly.
Choose to attend in-person or online.
sobus
20 Dawes Road, London, SW6 7EN
Telephone 020 7952 1230
Email info@sobus.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1071089
and Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No.03471416
Sobus is a new Community Development Agency for Hammersmith & Fulham. It has been created through the merger of the Community and Voluntary Sector Association Hammersmith & Fulham (CaVSA) and the Fulham Community Partnership Trust (FCPT). Building on the strengths of both organisations, sobus aims to provide a wider range of support services for local charities, community groups, social enterprises and start up businesses.