Working with your local authority children’s services workshop
For: kinship carers
The advice in this workshop applies to England
On this page
Click on the link below to take you to the section you'd like to read:
Our kinship carer workshops
Our workshops are only for kinship carers.
Whether you have a legal order, such as a special guardianship order, or your arrangement is private within your family, these workshops are for you.
You’ll be in a safe space with other kinship carers just like you.
If you’re not a kinship carer, please do not book.
What the workshop covers
We know that kinship carers need support when dealing with their local authority children’s services. This workshop will help you understand their processes and boost your confidence when having conversations with them. It covers:
- the different people that work in children’s services
- what support your local authority should offer you and the statutory guidance they must work to
- what the kinship local offer is and what support it should offer
- how to challenge children’s services if you’re unhappy with one of their decisions or services
After the workshop, we’ll email you a copy of the presentation slides and some links to helpful resources.
What to expect in the workshop
Our online workshops give you a chance to learn about this topic in the comfort of your own home.
We use Zoom, a free platform that you can access from a:
- desktop computer
- laptop
- tablet
- phone
We’ll email you some support guidance for using Zoom when you book a place.
Structure of the workshop
This workshop lasts 2 hours.
Our presenters will give everyone a few minutes to join and then get started. You can ask questions as we go along by typing into Zoom’s chat tool. One of our team is always on hand to answer.
After the session, we’re around for another 30 minutes. This is time for you to talk to our trainers, talk to each other and make sure you feel confident on the workshop topic. You don’t need to stay for this part, and you don’t have to ask questions if you’d rather not. You might still find it useful to listen to others’ conversations and questions.
We’re there to support you
If you’re feeling nervous, or worried about being in a virtual room with new people, we’ll be there to support you.
Our friendly trainers will welcome you into the room and start with introducing you to the main Zoom functions.
Taking part in the workshop
We want you to be comfortable in the session. Zoom gives you the options of having your camera off or on, so if you want to keep some anonymity in the virtual room, you can. You’ll only need to add your first name to join the Zoom call.
If you’re concerned about sharing your story or experiences, we won’t ask you to. It’s up to you how much you share and we’ll respect your choices. You’ll find that some people like to share, and others prefer to listen and learn from others’ experiences.
The session will include a discussion in smaller groups. We’ll put people into smaller virtual rooms with a topic for you to talk through together. Again, you can decide what level of involvement you’re comfortable with, so if you’d prefer to sit out or listen to the conversation, you can.
If you do feel comfortable getting involved, you’ll get a chance to:
- ask questions
- chat to other kinship carers
- talk to our trainers after the workshop
If you feel ready to book, fill out our booking form.
Get in touch
If you’ve got any questions about our workshops, fill out this form and one of our friendly team will get back to you.
We run workshops and events for kinship carers online as well as all over England. Take a look at what else we’ve got coming up.
Book your space
Join our community
Sign up for emails to keep up to date with the information that’s important to you, from support and advice for kinship carers, to our latest news, events and campaigns.