As an adopter with Adoption Focus, you'll be provided with a comprehensive range of free training sessions and workshops designed to ensure that you have the best preparation and support possible. These are available from the very beginning and throughout the assessment process with additional training offered after you've started your family.
Training and Workshops Before You Adopt
Preparation Training
Your training starts when you register with us as your agency and are invited to attend one of our regular preparation groups. Here, you and other people at the same stage will learn more about the adoption process and the children who become available for adoption. You'll be introduced to techniques which benefit you and your child. You'll take part in engaging activities and group discussions, hear from experienced adopters about their experiences, and get to know the team who will support you throughout the process.
Read more about our preparation training here
Adopting Brothers & Sisters
At this workshop, you can explore sibling placements to help you to consider adopting and meeting the needs of more than one child. The half-day session focuses on key issues to consider for brothers and sisters within the context of adoption and highlights strategies for managing anticipated difficulties.
“We really got a lot out of the workshop and now feel even more determined to adopt a sibling group”
Friends & Family Workshop
This training is designed for your friends, family and other significant people in your support network. The half-day workshop will raise their awareness and understanding of the adoption process, the needs of adopted children and how they can offer the most effective help and support to you your way to becoming an adoptive parent.
“Very informative, answered lots of questions and good to meet other families with similar concerns. Really glad we attended!”
Second Time Adopters
If you've adopted before, either with Adoption Focus or another agency, this specialist workshop will build upon your existing knowledge of adoption. We will facilitate discussions around the rewards, challenges and reality of adopting for a second time, as well as providing adopters with ideas and practical tools to begin to prepare their child for the arrival of a new brother or sister.
Existing Children in the Family Workshop
If you already have children in your family - through birth or adoption, or stepchildren - this workshop is for you. It aims to help you understand how your children will be involved in the adoption process. It also provides useful tools and strategies to help prepare an existing child and includes a young person’s first-hand experience of when her siblings joined the family.
Training and Workshops After You've Adopted
Therapeutic Play Workshop
This workshop will provide you with a ‘Theraplay’ taster in a relaxed and fun setting. It'll introduce you to the concept of therapeutic play to help build continual attachment between you and your child. The workshop looks at both directive ‘Theraplay’ and non-directive ‘Filial Play’. The aim of the session is to explain how therapeutic play can enhance attachment, trust, self-esteem and playfulness, and to empower you to use the techniques within daily routines.
“Everything was well covered in this workshop with the team on hand to answer specific questions… Would be great to bring other family members and friends!”
SafeBase
SafeBase is a therapeutic parenting programme for adoptive families. It explores the impact of loss and trauma on a child's attachment and uses Theraplay principles and activities to provide a framework for you to engage with your child in a fun way. It will also help you to become more sensitively attuned when responding to your child.
“Great trainers who listened and responded to all with empathy.”
Therapeutic Life Story Work
This training follows Richard Rose’s model for Therapeutic Life Story Work. It's designed to support children and young people to access information about their past so that they can internalise what this means for them in their present.
Therapeutic Life Story Work involves the child or young person’s carer throughout the intervention, focusing on mutual understandings, strengthening attachment and enabling the therapeutic journey to continue beyond the intervention.
Adoption Focus Life Story workers have completed a Diploma in Therapeutic Life Story Work and receive regular supervision. We can tailor the service to meet the specific needs of your child or your family as a whole.
Other Life Story Work Services
Often the information adopted children receive in their Life Story Book may be inadequate or inappropriate. Sometimes, they may not receive their book at all. This can make it difficult to talk to them about their life story and birth family. We can create or update existing Life Story Books or provide a consultation service to support others to do so.
Talking and Telling
This training is aimed at families who would like some guidance around how to start conversations about adoption with their child or children. It offers useful tips, games, stories and other practical resources that can help.
Life Story Work Drop-In Session
Tailored to the needs of each family, this is one-to-one support with an experienced worker to enable you to talk about confidential and personal issues. Advice about appropriate tools, techniques and strategies is available during the two-hour session, with follow-ups available if needed.