In this episode we speak to Euan Preston and Gillian Elam from the Potato Group. They recently published their report 'Far, Far Beyond the Adoption Order: Lessons From Lives Impacted by Trauma' drawing on the experiences of 400+ adoptive families. The report highlight some of the complexities and challenges faced by children and parents accessing a…

In this episode we chat to Vicki McKeown & Lisa Etherson about the tricky subject of Shame. Drawing on their professional experiences and practice as well as Lisa's Phd they have co authored the children's book "Jake and his Shame Armour. We discuss aspects of shame and how it is linked to attachment and can influence behaviour. As always there's a…

Hello and welcome to what is a follow up to the conversation I had with Lee Tempest in the summer of 2024. I spoke to her then in relation to the understanding and support being offered to families living with children with challenging and violent behaviour in New Zealand. Lee works for VisAble a national charity and has authored the first survey a…

Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast. In this episode Scott and Al speak to Sarah and Helen from the Belay Foundation. They help families access disability benefits as well as in home support. Here's a their info The Belay Foundation In case you are inspired to find out more ... website https://thebelayfoundation.org.uk/ - To hel…

Hello and welcome to conversations from the A&F podcast. In this episode I speak to Nakole Wooley, parent education & cultivate connection facilitator, licensed social worker, formed foster carer and adoptive parent through kinship. Nakole got in touch to talk about the challenges that adoptive families face specifically in relation to adoption dis…

Hello and welcome to the 213th Episode (not the 113th as introduced!). We catch up and unpick some of the latest news including the quality of the Gov's communication, upcoming disruption interviews and the experience of being a grandparent through adoption and the, perhaps, unique aspects of that role. As always if you’ve experience of adoption, f…

In this months episode, Vicki and Haley talk about preparations for the summer holidays, the heat, the lack of routine and the changes that are coming after. It’s a lot for any parent and carer to manage and so we explore the need for preparing for that with our people, our network, our tribe to prevent breakdowns or at least minimise those difficu…

Hello and welcome to Conversations from the A&F podcast In this episode I speak to adoptive parent and former foster carer Izzy, she shares her experience of adopting a child that she fostered as well as her experience of realising that her child was living with Pathological Demand Avoidance. Izzy explains PDA and how it impacts children and famili…

Hello and welcome to episode 212 of the adoption and fostering podcast, as we creep into the summer madness is upon us so due to scheduling challenges we’re releasing an interview that we had with Dr Chris Burke in May with no #InfoBanter. The issue of maintaining family links for children remains a complex one with everybody around children often …

Hello and welcome to Conversations from the A&F podcast In this episode I speak to adoptive parent Amiee, with her husband she proactively chose adoption and she shares their journey so far. We talk about the challenge of being linked with a child and the difficulties they experienced prior to finding their child. As always if you’ve experience of …

In this episode of the A&F podcast we have a quick catch up then throw ourselves into the murky world of adoption and ethics. We may have fallen at the first hurdle but we are speaking as adoptive parents and we look specifically a the balance of morals and ethics within this world. We're not high minded lads so it's pretty rudimentary but we consi…

In this episode we talk about the idea of home. What does home mean to us, as individuals, as parents, as professionals? Is it a place, a person, a feeling? We reflect on how our own experiences shape the way we support children and young people especially, those where home hasn’t always felt safe or secure. For care-experienced young people, home …

Hello and welcome to Conversations from the A&F podcast In this episode I speak to adoptive parent Julie, she became a foster carer then adopted as a solo carer and has experience working as a professional in mental health and social care. Julie shares her experience and the challenges as professional dropped away as the local authority team moved …

Hello and welcome to Conversations from the A&F podcast In this episode I speak to Dan Boxall_Simpson a Foster Carer, special guardian and fostering panel member Dan shares his experience of becoming a foster carer with his husband and how that opened up many of the things that came afterwards including the decision to become a special guardian for…

Hello and welcome to the A&F podcast, we're in the same country so after a very busy day at the FASD Ireland Conf we took to bed (think Morecambe and Wise) and unpacked the day's events as well as catching up with the latest news from the world of adoption and fostering and house moves! As always if you’ve experience of adoption, fostering or speci…

Hello and welcome to Conversations from the A&F podcast In this episode I speak to Tristian Smith a US care experienced adult. He shares his vivid experience of coming into the care system after a difficult kinship care arrangement. Tristian with his brother moved several times, experienced a failed adoption and then separation from his young er br…

Hello and welcome to this third episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You can read the full report here. In this podcast I reflect on conversations with carers and practitioners that support parents and children in the context of respite arrangements. It is a model of practice rarely seen in the UK and not available from statutory support services.…

This month we’re diving into the topic of risk. Are we too risk averse? And what does that really mean in the world of parenting, adoption and fostering, education, and social work. Join us as we explore how fear of risk and the consequences shapes decision-making, and what impact it has on the young people we’re trying to support. This conversatio…

Al was invited to attend the 2025 Adoption England Conference (Moving Forwards) in London. So, he off he went with his C30 tapes and trusty recorder and was able to grab a few interviews with attendees and contributors. The conversations cover a range of subjects; Early Permanence, the ASGSF, opportunities, adoptee voices, pre order disruption with…

Hello and welcome to this second episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You can read the full report here. Developing the themes in Part 1 this podcast considers how parents and carers are supported by focused organisations. Rather than look at specific models of intervention, of which there are many, it considered how families interacted and access…

In this episode we have the now almost obligatory ASSGSF intro and the get to the business on hand. We invited the All Party Parliamentary Group on Adoption and Permanence steering committee chair Siobhan Rhodes to come on and talk about the work they're doing to gather the voices of people who are adopted. We chat about what that is with the APPG …

We pulled this episode together at short notice to promote the work of adoptive parent Clare Solomon joined by Euan Preston of the Potato group to talk about the upcoming march to protest against the changes to the ASGSF. We chat through the changes and what they are looking to achieve through the petition and the march. You can sign the petition h…

Hello and welcome to this first episode of Al's Churchill Fellowship. You can read the full report here. This episode draws on peer support specialists working directly with parents and carers living with children with challenging and aggressive behaviour. Focusing on Canada & the USA it considers different models of peer support including social m…

In this Episode Al interviews Dr Lynn Snow. She is a medical doctor who has undertaken a Churchill Fellowship looking at how other countries and context address and support adoptive parents experiencing post adoption depression. It was a fascinating conversation and Lynn has also worked as a paediatrician on adoption panel and we start by unpacking…

Hello and welcome to this episode of Converations from the A&F podcast. In this episode I speak to foster carer and Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. He’s passionate about protecting vulnerable children which is what led him to start YATOM: The Jewish Foster and Adoption Network. He is a father to 4 children and has fostered 8 children over the past few…