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Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is open to all kinship carers living in England, who want to learn more about how to understand and manage challenging behaviour in the children they care for. It will cover how to support children in kinship care if they display complex and/or challenging behaviour – as well as how adversity impacts general behaviour, child development and world interaction.
What will be covered?
In this workshop, you’ll learn to:
- understand why children’s behaviour may be challenging and/or aggressive
- develop responses to challenging behaviour, keeping in mind how this can impact future behaviour and regulation
- develop effective strategies to reduce and manage aggressive/challenging behaviour
- to create, find and explore further information and support
After the workshop you will receive information and the presentation slides by email, along with a feedback survey.
How to join the workshop
All workshops will be held online using a free platform called Zoom. Please note that numbers are limited for each session to around 20-25 people to allow you to meet other kinship carers.
You can access Zoom through a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or even your phone.
You may need to download Zoom before you join – please factor in time to do that. The best experience will be through a computer or laptop. Watch a video on how to join a Zoom meeting.
To join the workshop, click on the Zoom link in the email we sent you.
Please make sure you:
- join on time – late joiners might not be admitted after 15 minutes
- have a pen/pencil and paper to make notes
What happens if you need to cancel your place?
We understand that life gets in the way sometimes, so if you need to cancel your place please do try and let us know as soon as possible.
You’ll be able to do this through:
- the email confirmation you received when you first booked
- or by emailing us on: workshops@kinship.org.uk
Who runs this workshop?
The workshop is run and facilitated by Al Coates MBE.
About Al Coates
Al is an independent social worker, specialising in supporting kinship carers to manage challenging and aggressive behaviour – which he’s co-authored several publications about.
Al and his wife have extensive personal experience, having adopted three children themselves in 1999, then becoming foster carers to two more in 2008. They went on to adopt those children and their sibling in 2013. In the same year, Al qualified as a social worker and has worked in fostering since. He facilitates several support groups, working directly with families to help them manage complex and challenging behaviour in children.
Al has used his own experience to campaign and raise issues around adoption, working since 2015 with the Department of Education within their Expert Advisory / Adopter Reference groups and Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board. He was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to adoption.
Al qualified as an NVR advanced practitioner in 2021, and since doing so has actively blogged about it. In 2016 he founded the Adoption & Fostering Podcast, which he co-hosts.
Register for this workshop
To register for your free place, complete our short form.
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